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axiology2017-05-10 04:18 pm
futurologists) wrote in axiology2017-05-10 04:18 pm
UPDATES: APPLICATION SECTION, BONUS AC, NETWORK MECHANICS
GAME UPDATES Hey, Futurologists! Before we hit the ground running for Leramzen, we have some game clarifications and updates for you. NEW APP SECTION We recently added a new section to applications for Suitability! All new apps must now include the following: SUITABILITY: The game's premise relies on characters willingly working on field teams (as opposed to desk jobs!) for ALASTAIR. How will your character approach their circumstances? This section should touch on subjects like how your character might adapt to the setting, their reservations, how they will justify staying on the team, etc. A paragraph will suffice!This does not mean characters will be rejected based on their personalities or backgrounds. This section is simply to encourage players to think about how their character will approach and adjust to the setting, as there is no IC mechanism stopping them from transferring to support roles (non-field work), something that is only OOCly possible by dropping. As for apps already in the queue -- don't worry! The new suitability section does not need to be applied to apps submitted before 27 April 2017. AC REWARDS We'd like to clarify the role of the AC rewards bank, as we've recently noticed some discrepancies. Items that provide practical and/or dangerous use such as weapons, armor, pets, and abilities must be purchased through AC rewards. AC rewards are also not limited to items given to characters by ALASTAIR; they can be used to OOCly 'pay' for setting-appropriate finds. In other words, your character does not need to ICly request items from ALASTAIR for AC bank! You may make a completely OOC request for something you'd like your character to find or receive. Materials feasibly found in logs (for example, robot parts where the team is fighting robots) are fine to collect without paying, but please ask us what can be found first so we can keep track. Not sure if you need to pay for something? Just ask! We try not to nitpick how people interact with the setting or what they find -- objects of little practical value (such as local food, clothing, etc.) are also perfectly fine. However, failing to use AC rewards is unfair to players that do go through the proper channels to buy items. We will not be asking anyone to retcon anything, but we will step in if we notice people circumventing the system in the future. To make things easier, we will be opening up the AC reward turn-in window to month-round submissions! Coins can still only be submitted and spent once per month, but players may turn that in at any time, as opposed to just the start of a month. In other words, you may buy an item through the AC bank on May 15, but you will have to wait until June in order to buy something else or submit more threads. This is to make things easier on the mods who process AC bank. AUTO-TRANSLATIONS We've received some questions on how Magitek language translation functions. The Magitek itself allows characters to intuitively understand whatever is spoken to them, provided they don't remove their jewelcomms. In other words, all spoken languages are automatically translated, even over audio/video feeds. Text over the network is similarly automatically translated, as is all written language while in Oska. While on missions, characters will have language packs installed before heading to a new world, allowing them to intuitively comprehend and read (provided they're literate) anything they would be ICly expected to encounter normally amongst the natives. This will be mentioned in all dossiers going forward. This means that characters might still run into alien languages that aren't preempted and supported by the Magitek, which they'd need to decipher themselves. Additionally, ICly private and anonymous messages are not supported on the network. That said, 'private' threads can be assumed to go to character inboxes! TL;DR In summary:
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characters in this game have notably made weapons and items to help each other in missions. for example, before the fight in oska, characters were coming together with items they had collected from other missions to create items to help them fight against robots. in requiring everything weapon related come from the AC bank, i feel like you are limiting this team building cr which I'd be sad to lose. i also think it would have a more negative consequence on characters that do not have powers like some other characters do. for example, clearly, peter is fine even if he does not buy a weapon or what have you. but if graham needs to buy his capacity to keep up in the game, i'm going to be at a constant deficit if I can't have him create items with all the things he's collected during his stay in game, or participating in creating a solution that can help all characters, evening the playing field and making the missions more cooperative in the process.
off the top of my head, syringes made by sonia, weapons made to help characters defeat zymandis robots, and the grenades created were all feats of characters coming together and working with items they had previously to make a solution to face a mission ahead. i would hate to see this canceled out with requisite ac rewards instead. for one, you could only buy items for one person, and perhaps not everyone has the coins and availability to do so. it also cancels out pretty fun and vital cr in characters working together to find a solution.
I understand not wanting to give players advantage over those who use the ac bank and those who don't, but I feel like this is veering a little too far in the other direction. ac rewards are a bonus, and not required. it doesn't seem fair to limit those who would rather not use them and instead build their development in game. having players check in with their plans and having them approved or denied would be better than having a requisite of it being bought from ac rewards, in my opinion, or maybe there's another solution that would work even better. i just had some concerns i wanted to mention, feel free to do with them what you will.
thank you for your time!
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While we understand your concerns, we'd like to be clear: we have not changed the system, merely clarified its intended use. All the examples you've provided are still possible! The syringes, for example, were given our full blessing before being implemented. Crafting is still possible, but we ask that players speak to us before assuming their character found every material needed. We often allow players to find parts, weapons, and useful objects in logs provided that we're asked for them, and if it is not ICly possible to find something needed for crafting, we're happy to discuss how to obtain them through the bonus bank.
That said, the bonus bank is intended as a bonus, and players are meant to use it to find things they wouldn't necessarily be able to find, buy, or steal from the given setting. What we don't want to see is, for example, Engineer McProgrammer solve a computer maze all by herself, using parts she somehow found that were never actually stated to be there. But we take care to engineer our missions to make them engaging for the whole playerbase, and that might mean being more strict with this specific aspect at times.
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i will definitely mention any future plans to mods, i'm glad that you are so flexible on letting characters continue to work on their own solutions :)
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Same for speaking, will they somehow be able to comprehend sounds of a different language or is it filtered in their ears :|a
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Again, this is connected to their magitek; if they remove their jewelcomm, they will no longer understand the native language.
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