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soddersays2021-02-18 01:36 pm
sodder) wrote in soddersays2021-02-18 01:36 pm
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Wakey, Wakey, Eggs & Bakey (aka a Massive Announcement)
TIME TO WAKE UP, SLEEPERS
What is a dream but a temporary state of mind? For every dream, there must be someone who wakes up. Even an eternal nightmare has its end and so too must this one.
Come May we will be hitting our Third Year Anniversary and with that, it is time to officially announce that the Sleepers of Deerington are finally going to wake up. We will have finished the first chapter of this story and our game Deerington will officially "close" in June...
...But that begs the question: if there is a Chapter One then that must mean there is a Chapter Two. Sleepers must wake up somewhere, after all...
So what does all of this mean? Is the game over? Nope! Far from it, actually This is not an end-game in our eyes. Deerington was always intended as a story-driven game with an overarching narrative with a conclusive end in mind. Sleepers were to be a part of the world Sodder created and try to figure out what was going on and what they can do about it. They were dragged through monumental challenges and had to struggle with dream logistics and reality-bending situations for years.
But now it's finally time for Sleepers to take control of the situation. Both the May and June events will focus primarily on the conclusive elements of our story. May will focus on Sodder while June will focus on what happens after Sodder and what happens to the Sleepers...For the most part.
More importantly, Sleepers will be able to decide in June what should be done with the NPCs in Deerington. This will include a game-wide vote as to which NPCs should be "awakened" or "sacrificed."
The vote-ins will determine which of the three doors from the Sinkholes is opened. The three doors represent three different outcomes that will determine the atmosphere/setting/themes/horror style/etc of our second game. This is Chapter 2 (Official Name will be announced later).
Chapter 2 is going to be a direct consequence of the Sleeper's decision on what they do with the NPCs. Chapter 2 is going to be The Waking World that has resulted from Sodder's powers and the events of Deerington. Despite being heavily reliant on the end of Deerington, Chapter 2 is a game that will stand on its own in term of its unique setting and new world rules/dynamics.
But wait, wait. We're getting ahead of ourselves here! What does it mean about one of the three doors opening? Simple! One of the three doors will open depending on a specific combination of votes. This door is going to represent the outcome of Chapter 2's setting. In other words, the characters are going to be making a choice that not only impacts the NPCs...But literally, the entire world and universe that Deerington exist(ed)s within.
We won't be telling you which deaths/saves/order opens which door of course - because that would ruin half the fun! But we will tell you a little bit about what kind of world each door will lead to. We hope this greatly raises the stakes of whatever choices characters wind up making when it comes to the NPCs.
All doors will technically open to some version of a "post-apocalypse" that had been caused by Sodder's dream. However, these will have established worlds with developed societies that have been learning how to deal with those circumstances for a long time. Even though they are technically set in the world Sodder has destroyed, they will not have traditional "post-apocalypse" themes. "Post-apocalypse" here is more of a literal translation for a world that has experienced an apocalypse and then continued to develop in a new way afterward. Sleepers will have directly influenced how this new world has evolved post-Sodder.
Which means Chapter 2 will take place a long ways into the future! While it has only been three years in Deerington, the world Deerington originally took place in has gone through decades and possibly even centuries. Well, they do say that time passes differently in a dream...
Flesh Door: Located in the Flesh Falls Sinkhole. This will open a grisly world similar to the events that occur during October in Deerington. This world will be heavily inspired by themes in Bloodborne and Lovecraftian stories, eldritch monsters, horrors of the unknown and cults. This world will include a blood-based magic system that all characters will have access to. This door will heavily connect to the lore of the Pthumerian race. This setting will be by a massive ocean presumably on the coast of what once was Maine.
Mother's Door: Located in the Deep Dive Sinkhole. This will open a wild folk world filled with much of the occult-themes present throughout Deerington such as inspiration from the Witch or Midsommar. Characters will be granted abilities based on an emotion-magic system. There will be an emphasis on folklore and folk horrors along with witch/nature-based settings. This will have quite a bit to do with the kind of magic Cynthia has been known for and a reference to the kind of world the good Pthumerians had dreamed of. This setting will be in an overgrown forest-garden world in an undetermined location.
Child's Door: Located in the Summoning Stones Sinkhole. This will open a strange, surreal world with a focus on the bizarre elements that the more psychologically-based events presented in Deerington. This may be vaguely reminiscent of the kinds of horrors and aesthetics present in shows like Courage the Cowardly Dog. There will be a focus on survival-style and isolation horror with psychological-based powers systems. This will have something to do with the lifestyle of the Dog Keeper and Ramona as they co-existed between Deerington and the Waking World (aka the real world). This setting will be in a world that's mostly become a desert and in an undetermined location.
None of these ends are necessarily "good" or "bad" and there's a variety of ways each one can be obtained. Even though some might seem "good" or "bad" each world will have a developed, functional society that knows how to combat the challenges within the world.
Good luck with voting!
You don't have to vote but we strongly recommend it! Every character will be ICly aware of this choice per May and June's events. Characters will ICly be able to determine what should be done and some characters might choose to not vote at all while others will make sure to vote.
Voting will be done through an actual poll posted to our OOC community. Characters will be able to discuss their decision through the Network/in private conversations/inboxes.
Voting should be done ICly and not OOCly. The point is for the characters to have to be challenged with this moral decision. More details about the voting will be provided in May.
When the situation boils down to the actual "final" interaction between Sleepers and NPCs - there should be equal opportunity for all characters regardless of their independent abilities/involvement in the plot to feel like they have some meaningful interaction with the NPCs. It will not just be "battle" capable characters who can impact the NPCs. At the end, it will boil down to the characters' willpower and sense of belief, and mental flexibility that will make the biggest difference. There should be chances for emotional/mental and/or violent/physical and/or negative/positive.
The final event will be a "split-event" style where one part of the event will be posted with the conclusion per the NPCs/story and the other part will be a more generalized event that all players can enjoy regardless of how involved in the meta they are.
This game will be less story-driven and more about worldbuilding and culture. Whereas Deerington was heavily based around fourth-walling and this overarching story of Sodder and her companions, Chapter 2 will be more about the world Sleepers create, about the customs and traditions they will partake in, about the new world they will get to explore and make a home in. Chapter 2 will be unique in that characters will want to make a life in this new world: they will awaken to their new reality feeling connected to it in a way that makes them feel content with leaving canon worlds behind.
Deerington always had a spattering of strange events due to it being set in a child's dream, but Chapter 2 will have more consistent themes and coherency between events due to it being set in a permanent reality.
Deerington abided by "dream logic rules" and the new world will be driven by a completely different structure of rules. These rules will be influenced by whatever door has been opened. There will be obvious influences, lore, and themes carried over from Deerington, and those who come from Deerington will see many familiar things in their new home world...But there will be plenty of new things too.
Here are some things you can anticipate about the new game per its connection/similarities/differences to Deerington:
The Status of "Sleeper": Characters will still be referred to as "Sleepers" in the new world. Sleepers will be considered a homogeneous "race" in this new world.
Character Biology: In Deerington, characters were considered "Sleepers" collectively by Townsfolk because of their shared circumstances of being in a dream.
In the new world, Sleepers will actually biologically be identical. All characters will undergo a biological change upon their entrance into the new setting. Characters will maintain their canonical appearances/memories but on a molecular structure, they will be something completely new and unified.
These "biological changes" have already begun to take place in Deerington and are a reason why characters are starting to "feel different" even though they might not be able to actually investigate why that is just yet.
Character Abilities: These biological changes will tie directly into character abilities. All Sleepers will have unique abilities upon entering Chapter 2 that will be based on the setting's power-system. We don't necessarily want to say old powers will be "nerfed" or "changed" as some might fit into the new system, but some characters may lose powers and gain new ones.
Characters will also discover that their abilities are stronger and more reliable when they are near other Sleepers. There will be a focus on the actual power of stability and unity among Sleepers.
Dream Guides: Dream Guides will become a permanent feature of the new game - but under a different name and different circumstances. Sleepers will all have an animal companion of some sort within the game. We cannot say much about it now for each of the Doors will lead to a very different kind of animal companion.
Deerington NPCs: The presence of the Deerington NPCs will greatly bank on decisions made towards sacrificing/awakening these NPCs. All NPCs will have some form of homage paid to them in the new game but some may have a more consistent presence than others. You may also find that some NPCs that haven't been quite as known may suddenly have a larger presence in Chapter 2 than they did in Chapter 1 - this may include NPCs introduced through various events/story clues/etc.
The Town of Deerington: The Town of Deerington will greatly change as we will be seeing the setting hundreds of years into the future after Sodder has accidentally warped/"destroyed" the world. It will no longer even be called Deerington and many of the locations you are familiar with will no longer be around. It is an entirely new "town" and setting and you can expect a brand new town map/brand new locations.
Character Homes/Items: This will largely be a fresh start for most characters. We strongly encourage people to have their characters come into this new world having to find a new home. However, we also understand that some characters have spent a long time making homes/businesses and we don't want anyone to throw that hard work out.
So, for those who apply during Early Access, your characters will have the option of maintaining their old homes/businesses for the new setting. We do require that these homes look like they have been abandoned for some time/need to be fixed/cleaned up at the beginning if you decide to go that route.
Early Access applicants will be able to have their characters bring over up to ten items from Deerington to the new world. This will include pets/weapons.
Like in Deerington, there will be many events that make new items/pets accessible to players.
Culturally Focused: This game is going to be focused on how Sleepers form a new life in this world. The direction of the setting will make characters feel comfortable in their new home and instead of being focused on "How to get back to my real world" characters will actually be swayed by their circumstances to be more focused on "How do I make a new home here?"
There is going to be an emphasis on community. There will be limited jobs within the setting but each job will be culturally significant and serve more as lifestyles than traditional jobs. These jobs determine character roles in society.
This new world will have unique customs, traditions, and holidays to celebrate that will be presented through game events as traditions/customs/holidays from the original earth will have long since been forgotten.
Scope of the Setting: This will be an open world setting where characters will actually be able to go beyond the town and explore nearby areas. They still won't be able to leave the actual world, but there will be far more exploration options. There are consequences to isolation, however, since character abilities/sanity will be influenced by their nearness to other Sleepers.
Deer: Deer were significant through Ramona's presence and influence over Deerington as well as Sodder's perception of deer. Deer will continue to play a sacred role in Chapter 2.
Death: Death will be significantly different in Chapter 2 as this will take place in reality rather than a dream. Instead of deer statues, characters will have deer ghosts that result from their deaths. These ghosts will function similarly to the deer from The Seventh Door but will be more readily accessible to characters who have died. More on this function will be dependant on which door opens.
Expected Pace of Game: The pacing will be identical to that of Deerington. We will continue posting one event per month, one TDM per month, plotting posts, etc.
Applications for Game: We have greatly changed our application structure for the new game. We want to focus more on how characters might interact with the setting and their biological changes in the setting. Your application will serve as a basis for how your character becomes part of this new world. We will require all players to apply formally into the game even if they are transitioning during the Early Access period.
We hope our new application is a smoother, more streamlined application process with a more concise and functional feeling that gives specific prompts rather than relying on generalized explanations for personalities.You will be able to use aspects from your original applications/samples of writing from Deerington / etc. We know it's a pain to write up applications, but we will need to be able to keep track of people who decide to apply with Deerington-CRAU or are starting fresh with the same character or a new character.
UPDATE PER APPLICATIONS: For those applying for characters pulled straight from Deerington and put into the new setting, we will only require you to fill out the powers/setting part of the application. We will allow you to link to your original accepted Deerington for the personality/history sections of the application.
If you are applying as a new character or taking your character from a new canon point you will need to do the regular, complete application.
We do believe the new application is more condensed and straightforward. We are also hoping to have a wider variety of applicable characters.
Activity Requirements for the Game: We plan to streamline our AC since we will no longer rely on any "points" system. The new AC will be easier to obtain and submit during Activity Check.
Social Media: Social media will have a similar presence in Chapter 2. Characters will still have access to the same technology and media in Chapter 2 but from a different angle and slightly different mechanics. Characters will be able to have files/information/pictures from their Fluids transferred over to their new communication devices in the new setting - even if you don't join during Early Access.
Story-Information Access: There will be specific pages in-game dedicated to explaining core principles and concepts of the lore that takes place in-game. There will also be accessible information about the culture and traditions of the game as well as informational pages about how Deerington has impacted Chapter 2 so new players and older players alike have a point of reference.
Preludes: The structure of our preludes will change to fit the more concise nature and predictability of this game. We hope to frame the prelude to fit the new setting and new abilities characters will have so that characters can anticipate and engage with the events coming their way and respond more effectively.
Event Structure: We will have a consistent variety of prompts per event. While we generally try to vary our events, in the new game, we hope to have every event have at least one prompt focused on culture/world building for the setting with a focus on social relationships and at least one prompt centric to the horror/possible dangers of the world.
We like the idea of each event having a mingle-style prompt for players who are new to the setting or for players who need a rest period between horror. We also believe that culture-building prompts will contribute directly to the game's atmosphere and sense of community and will serve as an invaluable part of the game's focus on characters building a home out of this setting.
Horror of the Game: Deerington largely relied on 4th-walling and a chaotic spectrum of horrors and monsters. Chapter 2 will have a more consistent style of monster/threats/horror that match the new setting and characters will be able to better predict how to deal with creatures/circumstances (though don't worry- there will still be plenty of curveballs).
Deerington relied on dream-logic/rules and therefore had open-ended ways to deal with problems. Safe spaces will be far more obtainable in the new setting and exact measures against threats will be easier to learn and maintain. Characters will be able to "master" the world, so to speak, and understand how to survive.
Horror will still be the spine of the game but we want characters to have reason to want to deal with the horror, want to stay in their new homes and have a life there. This is going to be a world where characters have learned to live despite the horror, have learned to live with the horror, and have excelled beyond it. We want a world where horror does not get to win because the Sleepers refuse to let it win.
The Mod Team: I, Milk, will remain Head and Event/Story/World-Building mod and have already been working on the new game diligently for the past several months. I haven't been able to complete everything since I don't know which door will be open yet, but I have prepared several different settings and structures based on the possible results. Simcha will (PROBABLY) continue on as second-in-command and we may see some changes to our list keepers and helper mods. When we get closer to opening Chapter 2, we will let everyone know the official Mod Team and possibly ask for new helpers/list keepers if necessary. We understand that this is months away and we do understand people's life expectations may change greatly between now and then. We plan to be as transparent as we always have about our core mod team and the different responsibilities they are involved in. We will continue to take on AC counters and App Readers as we always have on an as-available basis.
Game Plurk and Discord: Once Chapter 2 has been set up we will set up a fresh Plurk and Discord for the new game so we can keep everything organized. This information will be released along with the rest of the formal information about the game in September.
This is a huge shift so there will be a two-month break between the end of Deerington and the opening of Chapter 2. Chapter 2 will have entirely new communities/names/applications/information. People will not have needed to play Deerington in order to enjoy/participate in Chapter 2. Chapter 2 is, in other words, a fresh start, a fresh setting with fresh concepts and ideas.
For Deerington Players: you do not have to carry your characters over from Deerington to Chapter 2 if you are not interested.
We are, however, offering every player who was a member of Deerington in the last seven months (Dec 2020 & Jan, Feb, March, April, May, and June of 2021) Early Access to Chapter 2. This means you will have an opportunity to reserve/apply with whatever character (from Deerington or entirely new) to our game before its official open date.
We will also have an event prior to Chapter 2's official opening that will serve as a full transition scene from the setting of Deerington to the new setting of Chapter 2. This can be used for players planning to bring over their original Deerington characters or players who want to introduce new characters into the setting early.
What does Early Access entail? Great question! All we will ask is that you can provide a link to AC from any one character you had in-game during that six-month window. It doesn't matter if you were in the game for only one month or the entire duration - as long as you were an active participant in that timeframe you will be able to gain Early Access! The details of how/when to provide this proof will come when we open information for Chapter 2.
We know this is a lot to take in. And we know it's a bittersweet thing. Deerington has become a home game for many of us and we understand that for some people, this really will be a permanent goodbye. We hope to see many of you in Chapter 2 but we understand if some think it's time to hang up the ole antlers. We truly do not see this as an "End Game" but instead the end of our first arc. We are extremely excited about the next chapter and hope you share the excitement and will join us in the new home! We really have loved playing with you all and we look forward to a more streamlined, tightened up game with different themes and different styles of events and interactions.
There will be several important dates to keep in mind for the outline of what's going to happen over the next few months. Although we are technically ending the first chapter in June, the game will be allowed a sandbox period between June and Chapter 2's open so that players can conclude their threads and stories neatly. We will be leaving Deerington's communities permanently visible and open so players can continually access them during these months and in the future.
We have listed a clear schedule for the remaining dates for when everything will be happening in the next few months. Please make sure to read everything over carefully!
This post will be pinned to our OOC community, Discord, and Plurk for easy reference. We will also update our permanent game Calendar to reflect these dates. All updates about Deerington and our Chapter 2 Game will be made available through these communities as well on various pages.
END CHAPTER CALENDAR DATES
MARCH 25th: Final TDM.
APRIL 7th: Plotting Post for April event.
APRIL 10th: Event post for April event goes live.
APRIL 23rd(ish): Final Deerington Prelude for May's event.
MAY 1st-5th: Final AC will be collected (from April). There will be no AC requirements for June except for new players to provide proof if they would like to have Early Access to Chapter 2. These submitted proofs will not be formally acknowledged by our AC team, but you will be able to use it for Early Access proof - so hold on to it!
Otherwise, there will technically be no expected AC at all for June.
MAY 1st-5th: Final reserves for Deerington (Chapter 1).
MAY 5th-10th: Final applications for Deerington (Chapter 1).
MAY 7th: Plotting Post for Event. This event will focus on Sodder. There will be no mini event: the entire game will have access to Sodder's Final Moments.
VOTING FOR NPC AWAKEN/SACRIFICE BEGINS. Characters will ICly vote to awaken or sacrifice NPCs (and themselves) up until June 5th where all votes will be finalized. The June event will be structured around the consequences of these votes.
At this time, characters will be able to have IC discussions on the Network/in person about the subject of "voting" and what the consequences may be.
MAY 10th: Sodder's Event goes live.
MAY 20th: Final Deerington CR Meme.
JUNE 5th: Voting for NPCs ends. Results will be posted.
JUNE 10th: June Conclusion Event goes live + Final Plotting Post. This will provide characters with an IC chance to say "Goodbye" to one another and Deerington (though hopefully many of them will simply wake up in Chapter 2 and continue with their Deer-y journeys!). This will also explain the consequences of the voting/the new Door opening.
JULY 1st: All comments on interactive pages such as FAQ/Apps/Summong Stones/Death Certs will be turned off as the game will be treated like a sandbox at this point moving forward.
We will update our game pages to reflect that this chapter has closed and a new one will open.
JUNE - AUGUST: Please feel free to use June-August to wrap up threads and conclude stories in Deerington at this time. I (Milk) will be using this time to fine-tune the setting according to what was voted on and to prepare Chapter 2. Pray 4 me. The base of the game has already been established - it's really up to you guys now about the specific details!
At this time Deerington will be completely sandboxed. There will be no moderation involvement. This will be a time for mods to recharge and prepare.
SEPTEMBER 1st: Chapter 2 details will be publically released through Deerington's OOC journal/Plurk/Discord. This is going to be a completely new journal, new atmosphere, new story, new setting, new concept but much of it will be rooted in the decisions made throughout Deerington Chapter 1.
Early Access for Deerington Players to reserve characters. You do not need to reserve/apply as the character(s) you played in Deerington. You will have to provide proof of AC from any of your characters played in the last 7 months of Deerington. You will not have had to stay until the end of Deerington in order to gain Early Access.
SEPTEMBER 5th-10th: Deerington Players Early Access Applications goes live.
SEPTEMBER 15th: Transition/Early Access event. Deerington Players Early Access will also be provided with an event for a smooth transition from the setting of Deerington into Chapter 2's setting. This event will also be accessible for any new characters from older players, but the core idea will be for Sleepers waking up in the new world from their experiences in Deerington.
SEPTEMBER 25th(ish): Chapter 2's First TDM goes live.
OCTOBER 1st: Official Game Open for everyone. Early Access privileges end. Official reserves go live and game calendar starts up.
REFRESHER INFORMATION
Check out our master meta-information post here! You can read up on the core story elements throughout the game as well as get caught up on IC notes various characters have made.
Please feel free to contribute to this meta-information post at any point! We will update it as the story progresses to its end.
FEEDBACK AND QUESTIONS
We understand you may have a lot of questions and/or concerns about this transition! Please let us know in a comment below! If we feel something might be too much of a spoiler or something you will just have to wait and see, we will let you know! We cannot fully answer everything until we know which door has opened. While some aspects of Chapter 2 have already been established and set up, the majority of the game is largely dependent on the choices made regarding the Doors.
However, we would also like to take a moment and let our players tell us what they would like to see incorporated into the new setting! We truly want the new setting to be a blend of character choices and the world they have been thrust into and are aiming for a more stable, coherent setting and hope to improve many aspects of our game.
If you have any recommendations, suggestions, or things you'd love to see that might work with a possible new setting that you think has been missing from the game, let us know!
If there are things you loved in Deerington that you really want to remain in the new game, also let us know! We want to hear from everyone's perspective and while obviously, we might not be able to meet every expectation, desire, or suggestion, but we will do our best to see how we can move forward as smoothly as we can. We truly want to make Chapter 2 an evolved form of Deerington: smoother, cleaner, tighter, scarier.
A SINCERE THANK YOU FROM THE MODS
MILK
There were so many times while writing this post that I had to stop and take a breather. This game was an idea I had wanted to throw around with a few friends. I never thought people who didn't know me would look twice at my game. In the beginning, I hadn't even bothered to advertise and relied solely on casual plurk discussions to see if my mutuals would have any interest. This game immediately took off in a way I was never prepared for, and a way that was both terrifying and exciting. This was my first game ever and there were plenty of trials and errors to work through. I had big ideas that sometimes flopped, big ideas that sometimes couldn't be managed, and sometimes small ideas that were more successful than I had anticipated. All the while, you guys were continually patient with my team and me as we figured out how to make this game work and see what direction we wanted to take it in.
It has been incredibly fun to see the playerbase immerse themselves so deeply in this wild dreamscape story about some eldritch kid with funky dream powers. Thank you for constantly humoring my events - sometimes wildly out there, sometimes downright bad, sometimes downright traumatic. And even though Deerington Chapter One is closed, I can't express how fucking psyched I am for Chapter Two. This game will hopefully be a polished version of everything I've learned from Deerington and then some. While it may be a game that can stand on its own from Deerington, Deerington will always be at its heart and soul, and all of the players who stuck it out with us at Deerington will hopefully feel as at home in the new game as they did here. And for those who have decided it is time to take your final leave: thank you so much. You guys were an amazing playerbase. You were always engaging and insightful. You were fun and interactive and welcoming to new players. You were accepting and understanding whenever our mod team had tough times. You opened up to us with helpful feedback and criticisms when we needed it, and you were there to let us know when something was exciting and working. This game has only gone this far because of you guys. Thank you.
And thank you to every single person who has ever helped mod this game with me. My core mod team has worked tirelessly with me over the past three years (THREE YEARS!!!) to keep this game running. While I was busy being manic and obsessive over the core event details, answering questions, and scrambling around for story clues and a few extra things, my team made sure that the rest of the game was going steady. They made sure AC was calculated properly, they kept rewards up and running for the majority of our run time in-game, they kept TDMs posted, they kept the lists updated and the pages intact. There's just no way I would have ever been able to do this without them. Thank you to the core team we have had: Simcha, Lauren, Claire, and Charley. Thank you to all mod-helpers who have helped with counting AC, processing rewards, and reading apps. This game ran because there were so many people who regularly believed in it and wanted to help. Thank you to everyone who has ever volunteered your time and help. Even if we never wound up using your help, we always noticed the players who were open to assistance even if schedules wound up not aligning. Your thoughtfulness was always appreciated.
I love you all and I hope that the next Chapter is even half as good as the first. It's gonna be different and weird and I hope you're all here for it. For now...
SIMCHA
Coming on board as a mod only a couple of months into the game was one of the craziest and easily one of the best decisions that I ever made as an RPer. Milk's incredible story base and unique vision for what Deerington was going to become was so exciting to get to work off of and I've loved every second of seeing how players have enjoyed, participated in, and even expanded on the story that she's provided for all of us. Watching people really dive in to every clue and truly try and unlock every mystery has been an amazing journey. Every player I've seen has been so enthusiastic and supporting of ever TDM prompt I've written up over the last three years and watching what you guys take from it and how you make the prompts your own has been an amazing experience. I've enjoyed seeing the questions you guys come up with and talking with you about the excitement you have for what your characters can do with every event that comes their way. As a player I always felt welcomed to join in, but as a mod, I can say that the appreciation for the work that the mods have put in to Deerington has been overwhelming.
I appreciate every player who volunteered to help with AC, whether it was counting, or helping us revamp the system, or providing feedback when things weren't working the way they should. Activity Check is probably the most exhausting part of modding duties and the help that I was given over the last two years since taking over for our previous AC mod has been invaluable. I never would have been able to make it all work on my own and I am so incredibly grateful that there were people who love this game enough to want to help with even the most menial of tasks. I appreciate the patience and support that I got from so many players when I wasn't able to keep on top of things when life when to pieces for me in the past few months, and I'm especially grateful to my fellow mods for picking up the slack that I created when I had to disappear for a little while at the end of the year. I've never been on a team or in a game that was so understanding and supportive and I hope that our players feel like they got the same understanding and support from us in turn when they needed it.
I hope that everyone enjoys the rest of Chapter 1. I think there is so much more to explore and I'm looking forward to seeing what you all as players come up with as this part of Deerington's story comes to a close. I look forward to going through it with you and hope to see you all in the next chapter!
LAUREN
I just want to thank everyone for making this game so fun. When I came onto the mod team, the game was very new and pretty small and it's grown so much and we've wound up with a really wonderful community here. I really adore all the RPing I get to do here and being able to see so many wonderful people have fun with each other. This has been a long road and I've made some truly wonderful friends through this game and felt so much love and support in this community. I definitely feel that no amount of cool worldbuilding or engaging mechanics or the most wanted castmates can really be better than just finding a game with a community of players who are engaged and excited and welcoming and though this game is too big for every one of us to know each other, I know that so many of you as players have contributed to this environment. You are a creative, kind and fun group of people and I am very happy to have shared a game with you all here. I hope even after chapter 1 is complete that we will still get to play with each other in the future.
Having something I worked towards bring enjoyment to so many people has been so rewarding, as has being on a team with my fellow mods who all work so hard to keep the game running. I am in awe of the amazing ideas and hard work that have poured out of them. This game has been so very dear to me and very central to so much of what I love in this hobby and I look forward to seeing where we can all go next together as we finish up Chapter 1 and hopefully many of us will ride on Milk's back to Chapter 2 like baby possums.
CHARLEY
Like everyone else, I want to thank this whole game from the bottom of my heart for making it everything that it is. A great game not only needs an amazing head mod with a vision and a supportive team to help that vision run smoothly, but it also needs a great community of players to really make it feel like home. We have been blessed to have so many people here who work well together to bring the best out of the plot and each other. From the moment I dipped my toe on the test drive, I felt welcomed, and back then it was something I desperately needed.
I came to Deerington looking for a sense of community and belonging, things that I was seriously lacking at the time. I got more than I bargained for: not just something to be apart of and do, but people that I hope to call great friends for years to come. And it was because of the greatness of this community that I answered the call for helper mods about a year ago, to give back to the game that gave so much to me. When Milk told us Deerington was ending only to follow it up with a "but wait, there's more!" it felt like I was losing something special, but then gaining something even greater: an opportunity to continue this story we've all been apart of for a bit longer and hold onto the people and characters I've come to love in the story I came to know them in.
So while it is always a bittersweet thing to close the cover of a book and say goodbye to some characters, it is also an infinitely more exciting thing to open the sequel and meet all new ones to go on adventures with some of the old. I hope to see many of you in Chapter 2! I'm so excited for what might come next~
Thank you everyone! We will never forget ya'll.
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All in all, you should be able to copy/paste most of your original application into the new one. Our new application is generally much smaller and more specific and theoretically could be done entirely through bullet points. We know it's a bit of a bummer, but it seems like the best way to properly gauge how all our current players may choose to enter the game.
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y'all have got me planning out the next eight months of my rp career....no subject
People will also be able to stack their CRAU experiences too! So if someone wanted to do Deerington-CRAU mixed with CRAU they came into Deerington with originally- that will be acceptable!
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Is it possible to say a little more about the "biological" aspect of Chapter Two? In what way will the characters be different, if they look the same? Will they lose any species-specific advantages/disadvantages (has to drink blood every week, can see really well in the dark, etc.)? Is this a body horror/body transformation mechanic?
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That's a little tricky to answer since it will largely be dependent on which door is opened! There will be a variety of abilities players can choose from that best suits their characters (or does the exact opposite) and some of those abilities may align with character canon abilities coincidentally. Players will also be able to determine how little or hard they lean into this aspect.
While some of the differences will be "active" in how they present, many will also just allow characters to naturally adapt to their new surroundings. For example, in the Flesh Door world, the blood magic system will make it so technology is actually powered by the "magic" present in each Sleeper. Instead of relying on electricity, Sleepers can power their homes simply by virtue of how their unique Sleeper blood "interacts" with the world around them. This wouldn't be a thing any Sleeper can consciously control. It's a bit like using solar panels except the solar panels are weird blood-powered things and the sun..is..blood!
That's just one minor example and probably the least-spoiler-y one we can give. There will be no prominent body horror/transformation mechanics forced onto any uninterested parties - but some of the doors may open the opportunity for characters to have a consistent monster form if that is something the player wants to partake in. Those monster forms will connect to the variety of powers available.
Essentially Sleepers are being "born" into this world from the same dreamscape/source and it's that transition into the new world that is going to "reorient" each Sleeper's existence. This is also intended to give Sleepers a closer sense of "unity" among one another and put Sleepers on the same playing field regardless of their canon backgrounds/powers.
I hope this makes sense! I know it's a little tricky to describe without concrete examples available but hopefully, this helps to clarify.
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This is all very exciting, and I'm looking forward to seeing which door opens! I was wondering if you could tell us a little more about what kind of canon powers will be compatible with the new systems and which ones wouldn't, depending on the setting that opens up?
Mostly, I ask because I would like to know whether or not I should expect Qrow's "Misfortune" ability (which passively brings bad luck to himself and everyone around him) to still function in any of the new settings, since whether or not it does would have a direct impact on what direction I take his arc prior to the close of the first chapter.
I totally understand if you guys would prefer to keep the details of the shift secret until a door is chosen, so even just a yes/no answer for my situation in specific would be really appreciated.
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Since the power systems are quite extensive and would be difficult to explain without the context of the actual settings, we can't give away too much at this time.
The "Misfortune" ability should be compatible with some of the options available in the settings though. The aim is to essentially give players a "basis" of powers and to have them expand upon how those powers will impact their character themselves (hence the importance of the new application). For example, if in the emotion-magic-based system you decide your character's primary emotion is "sorrow" you might choose to have that power reflect Qrow's Misfortune ability (this is a very rough example btw).
You will also have the opportunity to completely change his abilities away from canon abilities as well.
I hope this kind of helps! Sorry I can't give a clear-cut system just yet! I want to wait to see how the game fully closes up before determining a strict system. While I generally have a core idea of how the magic systems will "function" their full function will become easier to work with once a door has been committed to.
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Milk confirmed in Pan's plurk that there won't be forced humanisation, but I'm curious what exactly the biological changes will entail. For example, I play an android character. Will he be able to retain his canon synthetic physiology and remain an android, in addition to being considered a Sleeper biologically in Chapter 2? Basically, will characters (whether they're humans, synthetics, gods, demigods, grass kids, animal people, elves, mutants, vampires, demons, angels, etc.) still be their respective species, even while being considered Sleepers as a "race" as mentioned above?
As is often the case for non-human characters, so much of my character's identity, struggles, in-game and canon development are directly tied to being an android/synthetic being, and I'd like to keep him as one (not counting possible event transformations, of course) so I can continue exploring these themes in the next chapter of Deerington. :>
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Generally speaking, yes they will be the "same species" that they were in their original canon. This "biological change" is more or less meant to have a consistent core/soul throughout Sleepers that will mostly have to do with their new powers/presence in the new setting and how the new setting reacts to the Sleepers. These biological changes will be dependent on the doors, but there will be different "types" of biological changes that can easily translate to different canons.
For example, the Flesh Door will lead to all Sleepers technically having a unique blood type to operate in the blood-based magic system. However, not all the blood types will represent the traditional idea of blood as we know it. The word "blood" is meant to represent more or less the "life force" within someone, something that can be taken away/given, and there will be a variety of blood types players can choose from when they enter the game. These blood types will lead to different abilities/different functions in the setting. Some of the available blood types will theoretically make more sense for those who wish to keep their character more aligned with their canon species.
This similar concept will translate to the other two doors. We are using the idea of blood, emotion, and mental state as the building blocks of the souls of the characters and hope to provide flexible systems that players can have a lot of wiggle room in and have fun interpreting.
Basically, to make a winded, vague explanation short and to use a crude example: all huskies are dogs, but not all dogs are huskies. All androids are Sleepers, but not all Sleepers are androids. There will be those core biological changes to identify and distinguish Sleepers from the natives of the new setting, but Sleepers will still have their own unique identities/distinctions among their own kind.
The arrival process for characters will likely be the strangest/most physically altering part for characters, but this is merely for characters first entering the setting whether from Deerington or their own canon. This will also be a temporary transition event and will be fairly usual for that weird "characters entering panfandom setting" process most games have. Though you can anticipate ours being a bit more surreal than the typical transition scene.
The biological changes will also serve to influence characters to feel as though they belong to the setting/feel natural in the setting.
I hope this clarifies some things! Please let me know if you have further questions.
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I'm excited to see where this game goes. C: A little bummed over the dream setting ending but hey, stories need to evolve and as you mentioned above, in a good story, there's always an ending as well.
Thank you for your hard work! It seems you've put a lot of thought into this and it looks fantastic. It's been a lot of fun especially for the past few months to read the meta plot entries. Looking forward to what you have in store for us in the future.
I have one concern/question:
Since it'll be a completely new game, will the rules about characters etc. largely remain the same? I play one of the few duplicate characters in the game and I would absolutely hate to compete in the future for the spot of playing my character with Frank who plays the AU version of Eames. Or if you'll change the rules, will there be an exception made for the chapter 1 characters?
ps. Super super excited about magic in the new setting. C:
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We're a little sad to see the dream setting go too!
Thank you! We are glad to have had such a faithful player base throughout the years.
You won't need to worry about any sort of competition! If anything we are hoping to expand what kind of applicable characters there are. You both will still be able to enjoy playing Eames how you always have!
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