Mod Announcement

[sodder]

Updates

Hello everyone! We have officially established our permanent activity check which will now be in effect. We have also officially established our rewards page which is where you will now request game rewards with your bonus points. Thank you everyone for your patience as we figured out the best way to set our systems up!

And for those that missed it, we have updated an Unlocked Locations page where you can unlock special locations within the game through reward points! You can now also Request a Location!

Important Announcement Regarding Game Status

Our Mod Team has come to a conclusion about the status of Deerington as a whole that we need to discuss with the rest of you. The game itself is an immensely story-based structure with several elements to it that require a lot of moderation and consistent updating. Our Mod Team is too small to keep up with those elements properly.

We have some options! We are opening up Co-Mod Applications in hopes of finding someone who can help us keep our game calendar, bestiary, activity check, rewards, and a few of the other pages up to date and running smoothly! We will have this application run until the end of the month. We are looking for people who have confidence in their availability as well as people who have a good grasp of the game itself.

You can find the Co-Mod Application Here.

If we fail to find an appropriate co-mod within that period, we will have two choices left:

1. We either break down the entirety of the game's structure to create a more open sandbox-type universe with a guided story but with less interactivity. This is our strongly preferred choice. We love this game and still have plenty of plans left! The structure would simply be much looser to make up for lack of mod aid.

2. We finish the game off next month. While we don't want to resort to this option whatsoever, the game itself isn't quite growing at the rate that would help maintain its large premise. This is not our preferred choice at all, but we understand that games occasionally must end before they can properly begin. We also understand that many people might not be interested in a sandbox setting.

If any of you have any opinions on the situation at all, as always, please feel free to comment below! With this situation in particular it will be very important to hear from as many players as possible concerning what they hope becomes of the game should we not find mod help. Now remember, these more drastic changes are ONLY if we can't find someone to help mod with us. Thank you!

Comments

[tagartist]

If you guys can't find a suitable co-mod, I would definitely prefer option 1 over option 2.

[lednikovyy]

I would prefer 1 over 2.

I also think it might be a good idea to consider only doing one mod-run event a month. It's obvious that a lot of work gets put into them and with the size and speed here, I think all the options each event has are plenty to sustain a month of tagging. If anything, I worry that the second one doesn't get as much attention because people are still busy tagging the first.

[therapissed]

Chiming in to say I'd also prefer 1 over 2.

Also agreeing with the above that it might be better/more sustainable to do one mod-run event a month to make it a bit easier for the mods to maintain, and also because it gives people a good amount of time to tag-in and backtag to their heart's content. Or the first event of the month could be a small, simple mingle that then builds into the bigger, complicated second/main event? It would slow down the plot/story development a bit, but it could give you the breathing room necessary to keep it going without breaking your backs.

Just making suggestions, because I've only been in the game a short time and while I've been enjoying it, I can definitely see how hard it must be to keep so many events going per month.

[vdova]

Fourthing the above! I'd definitely prefer 1 over 2, and I'm also thinking one mod run event a month might be a good idea- I'm still tagging the masquerade from June, and haven't had time to devote to the two after that at all! As a former mod, burn out is a real thing, and while I think it's wonderful you guys want to give us a ton of things to do, if it's not feasible, you guys shouldn't do it, because that just leads to frustration.

[nojockey]

I don't really have much to add besides what others have already said! but similarly, between options 1 and 2, I prefer option 1. I really appreciate how much effort and work goes in to the events and their execution, and I think the beauty of that is that it really does provide plenty of tagging material for a long while after the fact. honestly, if another event of equal size went up today I probably wouldn't tag it because I'm still doing stuff from the carnival business. even if it slows things down story-wise, it would probably reduce the strain on y'all and we would still have plenty to work with!

[tagartist]

^^ seconding that hard. I've also noticed that the second events don't get as much attention and I know with how large everything's been, I've had a hard time keeping up with more than one event a month anyway.

[paragon]

I'm gonna echo everyone else: I'd definitely prefer 1 over 2 in the event you can't find a co-mod, and I'm in favor of reducing the glut of events.

A few things, with the caveat that my a/c is broken so maybe none of this will be coherent: you guys are currently overextended, but also mention the game isn't "growing at the rate that would help maintain its large premise." Maybe I'm missing something, but that sounds to me like you're running the game as though it has a larger playerbase instead of the one you have, and that's leading to more on your plates than you can handle. I was honestly surprised by the event this month — I was under the impression that major horror AC worthy events would be occurring every other month, but this was a full fledged horror event, when I'm still tagging last month's. I know Milk mentioned in my plurk that the second half of June's event was meant more as a "these are things you can explore over the course of the game, you don't have to fit it all in this month" kind of thing, but that wasn't really made explicit in the event post itself, so I don't think many people saw this as setup for an ongoing plot and it felt like a lot. It could've easily been used as this month's lower-key plot and the fair/circus for August's horror AC plot. These things could be paced out more, I guess is what I'm saying, which I'm guessing would make it easier on both the mods and the players.

It wouldn't just be easier, though, I feel like it would be healthier for the game? I may have a minority opinion here, I'm not sure, so others are welcome to jump in and agree or disagree, but I think it's helpful to anchor our characters in the game if they're given a bit of time to integrate into the setting between bouts of extreme horror. I'm well aware I apped into a horror game and that that's going to be an ongoing theme, but some time to get to know and care about other characters outside of events and time to speculate about and get to know the town would make slightly more occasional horror perhaps scarier and ultimately more rewarding both IC and OOC. Even within the events there can sometimes be so much going on that it's actually hard to interact with. Like, there are a lot of elements to the fair that would ping Steve, remind him of things he grew up with and enjoyed and cause him to be invested, but every element was so jam packed with horror that there's no way I could have him really be present and willing to explore the place because he'd just constantly be on guard. Again, lightening up on all of it could be helpful to everyone, especially if it's more than you guys can keep up with.

[revvedup]

chiming in to also voice my preference for option one over option two, i also think that having less events and more opportunity for characters to collaborate with each other and investigate the events after they happen would be good for both the mods and the game, but people have already said that pretty succinctly.

[singularwidower]

I would absolutely like the 'sandbox' version rather than closing, because I think there's a lot of juicy cronch in the stuff you've already posted even now to get some really interesting storylines and plots out of, not even counting the overall game plot. There's stuff I REALLY want to explore and just...haven't had a chance to yet.

BUT I'd like to echo some of the previous comments. Things are moving slightly too fast for me to properly tag in to everything I want to, and I would love to have some, just...open logs exploring the horror of 'daily life' and poking around and meeting people--and the encouragement of logs like that. But my eyes are definitely bigger than my stomach, rp-wise; I want ALL the tags but I really can't sustain all the tags for all the events just at the moment.

Also, looking at the comment count on things, it looks like a lot of the focus is on the big events so that the exploration and small things and secondary events aren't necessarily getting the attention they deserve.

I really like the steady progression of things, though! The activity on your part/mod's part begets activity on the player's part. :)

To spitball and think out loud a bit about pacing, maybe give a bit of time between the 'Arrival' of new charries and the first 'Event' so that new players have a chance to tag into those really character-juicy waking up and orientation threads. :D Or even suggesting that people post their own in the log comm so that people can get CR right off the bat that way. Just. Your events are so BIG and wow I'm still backtagging several masque threads (very happily) and I really want to explore the ramifications of some of those. :D

Heck, periodic log 'events' that don't even develop the plot, just throw out reminders of various hooks that are already extant with maybe a bit of a flourish or indication of passing time might be cool. Idk, friends. I'm very much enjoying your game either way and I would MUCH rather make it so ya'll don't burn out so we can have it for much longer. :3

[vermillon]

excuse any incoherence, i'm still waking up

Going to echo everyone and say I prefer the first option over the second, and that two events in one month is too much and more for a playerbase that is both large and fast-paced.

From what I've seen so far, this game's playerbase is fairly relaxed and definitely in no hurry to GET THINGS DONE NOWNOWNOW!! and what not. And with how extensive the theme park event was (jeez, I don't think I've seen something that big before, not even in a huge game that I was in a couple of years back), I assume the rest of the events in Deer are much the same, and those should be enough to keep people going for several weeks, well beyond the month they were introduced in. One mod-run event per month also gives players room for their own plots without being bogged down with currently running threads, or being ignored simply because they decided to choose the wrong time to have their own event.

[paragon]

To spitball and think out loud a bit about pacing, maybe give a bit of time between the 'Arrival' of new charries and the first 'Event' so that new players have a chance to tag into those really character-juicy waking up and orientation threads.

I agree that it would be lovely to highlight this aspect of the game somehow. I find character arrival here really intriguing and struggled with the best way to approach it, since the masq event started nearly as soon as I was accepted. I ultimately decided to throw up a log but it meant starting out the game doing a backdated log and already feeling behind. I don't have a great suggestion wrt exactly how to adjust this, but it would be nice.

[almightythirst]

Absolutely agree that option 1 is preferred! I love this game and the playerbase, and it would break my heart a little to see it all fade away so soon. The mods have done a wonderful job so far as well. If possible, I'd like to see their work continue in some way.

I agree with what a lot of players have said up above about the pace and scope of the game. The events are amazingly detailed, but it's maybe a little too much for players to handle each month. I feel like smaller, less-frequent, or more focused events would help. Don't get me wrong: I LOVE these events. They're some of the most interesting and compelling ones I've ever seen in an RP game. It's just kind of like a buffet full of delicious food right now: we all want to eat everything, but we just can't.

The one thing the game has lacked so far is a lot of character interaction outside of event settings; which mods have no control over of course, but it could be encouraged in other ways. Scaling down events might help with that too, particularly in favor of smaller happenings around town or some of the player-run events.

And having said all that, the game is still so new! It might take more time for people to gravitate to it and for the playerbase to settle in. So given that, I don't think letting the story progress a little more slowly would hurt. It would mean more for existing players to look forward to, and more for incoming players to discover as time goes by.

(Also I'm SO TEMPTED to apply for the co-mod position, but I really don't think I can swing it with my current schedule. Though if something happens and somehow no one is able to take it up, then hmu. I'll make something work. Also if you need a guest writer to just write up event stuff, location info/bestiary stuff or whatever on an as-needed basis, I would be down for that.)

One last thing: I <3 y'all

[darknstormy]

^^Third for the one event a month, if that's something mods are considering. I'm definitely behind on most events. It's not you, it's definitely me. <3

Also prefer 1 over 2 but support whatever decision is made.

[darknstormy]

+1 on loving the intricacy of events / mind blown over the details

I've honestly spent a good bit of time enthralled reading the events go up and end up not tagging because I'm still stuck on prior events :(

[nojockey]

also gonna add (and kind of echo what Cap said below)--

I apped into a horror game fully aware it's a horror game so definitely no surprises there, but I do think that having smaller-scale events with more gradual horror elements would help to integrate characters into the premise and setting without overwhelming them. for Sean, and maybe for others, although his canon isn't particularly scary, he's very naturally skeptical and wouldn't knowingly put himself in obviously horrifying situations, so like... for example, realistically he would have walked into the park, smelled the blood from the rabbit mascots, and turned his ass around to leave again.

this is obviously jmo and like, maybe I don't know a dang thing. but personally I think having smaller events that integrate more subtle horror elements could provide opportunities for characters to interact in a less... idk what word I'm looking for. in away that's a little less jam-packed with fear? plus, it would be less work for you guys if there was, for example, one quarterly Big Ass Event and smaller monthly events.

anyway you guys are fantastic and this game is fantastic and NOW I promise I'm really done rambling!!!

[singularwidower]

Hehe, the first event each month could be the game equivalent of the 'newbie bbq' with a couple of wake-up prompts tbh? Since new people pop in over the course of a week during the same part of the month, I kind of think that the pcs would start to catch on and like, idk, throw a welcome party. Or start a therapy group. XD

[princessences]

I am echoing everyone else with option 1 over option 2! Although I would like to ask exactly what your definition of a "sandbox" type game is? The way it's been used in the past in my understanding isn't what I picture games with much structure at all to have, so I just want to make sure I know what's being talked about.

That being said, even though I am BRAND NEW I have been enjoying myself quite a bit! I am going to +1 the mention of one mod-event a month and also the balancing of one HEAVY EVENT and one less heavy event in alternating months. Or also have the option of potentially player-run events in place of the lighter months? That would also take some of stress away if they just need mod approval. If this is a dreamscape type world, the events could also be based off twisting of the dreams/worlds of characters in game, for example.

Being here only for a week or two and I can already see how much attention and detail you've put into the game. it's definitely what drew me to it! So I would love for it to continue in some fashion.

[shuttersense]

Chiming in with everyone to say yes to option one to option two! I've really enjoyed the game so far, and I've loved meeting the people here.

That being said, one big event would work! Heck, even if you cut what goes on currently for the log in half would work out great.

I have noticed that for doing player plots and such, it can be more difficult because we all like to pile in for the event, especially for the horror!

So in short: option one, one big event, and also a vote for cutting the events down a bit.

I'm not saying I don't love the events-I do. I love them so very very much. But-if you can save some of it for later on, hey! less work down the line right? But if that doesn't work, that's cool too! I do love the details.