POLL.

[futurologists]

Hello, worldhoppers! Now that you're more settled in, it's time for some polls! The questions are as follows:

★ How often would you like app cycles?
If apps are monthly, the app cap will most likely be lower. Bi-monthly, there'll be a higher app cap. It could be less often as well. There could even be only one app round per mission, depending on your answers to the next question.

★ How long would you like missions to last?
The current Chantes mission is slated to take closer to six months. Shorter missions will mean they're a bit more fast-paced and action-packed, since there won't be much time to hang around. Longer missions will be bigger and more complex, likely with several different stages.

★ How much downtime would you like between missions?
'Downtime' means time back at Oska. If it affects your answers, know that Oska will become more important as the plot moves on. If you'd like a few months, there will still be things to do; however, they'll be less pressing, and a little more sandboxy.

★ Would you like a character cap?
The game is geared towards a smaller amount of characters, ideally. However, it's important to hear your thoughts, too! If your answer is more than 70 characters, give a ballpark number of what you'd like in the comments. Currently, the game isn't particularly suited towards more than 100 characters, but adjustments could possibly be made.

★ How much ALASTAIR NPC involvement would you like?
Currently, the focus is on world NPCs, not on ALASTAIR. Although there are plans to involve them more when Oska becomes more important, currently they're not as important. Would you like a lot of interaction with NPCs, a medium amount, or have the focus be entirely on NPCs in the current world?

The poll can be taken here. Please feel free to discuss in this entry! Any other suggestions are welcome as well; the goal here is to make the best experience for the most amount of people possible.

Comments

[inroad]

I'm sorry in advance for typos I am on mobile but wanted to do this before I forgot :(

★ How often would you like app cycles?

Bimonthly.

I apologize if this was asked and answered but would the bimonthly apps have unique introductions? To me, if new players enter with characters during a mission, depending on the situation not giving these people a unique mission-related intro might make it harder on new players to get involved. Second characters apped by current players not so much a big deal.

I'm also voting bimonthly on contingency all players are active and the game is progressing. It would be terrible to have bimonthly if we as a playerbase are dragging our feet and slowing things down. So I like bimonthly in theory with the wiggle-room to let the mods do what they need to do that feel is best for the health of the game (whether longer or shorter).

★ How long would you like missions to last?

I feel like I can't easily comment on this until we have been through a mission, but maybe a mish-mash of longer and shorter missions might work well depending in the type. I do like what a player suggested above, too, about measuring by progress, too. I've seen in some cases in games where people end up not doing anything when a situation is to last for a set amount of time and make the mods just move everything along on their own.

Also, what would happen in the case of failing missions? If I remember right, it was said that the characters choices help mostly determine failing vs succeeding.m, so it's another thing I am concerned with when making a mission a certain length of time (unless of course the mods have system set up on what to do if a mission is failed).

Putting failure opportunity and character actions in the mix makes me further agree with a paced timing as well, since I imagine there will be missions where more characters are in agreement about what to do and this can accomplish objectives more swiftly. Others, however, will be more controversial and if characters interfere with one another and conflict arises (eg: the group is supposed to poison the water supply of a world and half the characters are against it to the point they'll clash with the other half willing to do it without the help of the objectors), that could (would?) make the length of a mission vary, too, I would imagine.

★ How much downtime would you like between missions?

I would base this off the mission length and as Oska becomes more important! If there's more 'downtime' in longer missions, I see less reason for actual downtime in Oska unless it's plot related.

I don't like SOL much and it's specifically not worked well for me with this character so i am more against this atm than if I had a different character.

That said, I think if a mission ended on a really heavy note, players might appreciate more downtime than something with a lighter atmosphere to it.

★ Would you like a character cap?

My issue with a character cap of 70 is that if I knew there would be such a restriction beforehand I would have made sure to app two characters rather than start with one. So, I feel it's only fair to express that since it's very likely coloring my view, at the moment.

Also, at a cap of 70 characters I don't know how fair it is to allow more than one character per player right now with the game so new? I don't even know how many players we have with second characters at the moment, but it's something I l thought I should mention in regards to future app cycles and limitations.

Can I ask that when saying the game won't work past 100 characters that is assuming having every character have an active and equal role in the mission? Or is it more just too many bodies for the types of missions and situations the team would be put in, even when split up, to make sense.

★ How much ALASTAIR NPC involvement would you like?

I will take any and all interaction from NPCs, I won't lie, especially if it brings forth fun things/extra things for the players to do.

I'm also speaking for npcs in general, though. I don't care if they are world or ALASTAIR, if they got some awesome stuff to give, I will happily take whatever the mods would like to give. If it's not particularly interesting or boosting the game playing opportunity, I don't feel as much need to have it.

For example, if more cool interesting things can happen for players by more interaction, whenever possible would be awesome (extra quests or things to do/explore or more info about stuff that may influence events, etc...).

[futurologists]

Just some really quick answers to your questions!

I'd like to give players unique mission intros to integrate them into the game if app cycles aren't as frequent, yes!

And by saying that it's suited best for around 100 is assuming that everyone will get the chance to have an active role, and would include things that would be a little more tailor-made to the current team. Tasks right now have been made with a smaller playerbase in mind, but as said before, adjustments can always be made.

[inroad]

Thank you for such a quick response!

In that case, bi-monthly apps regardless of how long or short missions are would be awesome. I look forward to see what you come up with since some of the fun best events in past games have been unique intros for new characters.

Regarding the character cap with this information, I think I might need to see how things go for a bit to give a more useful/definitive answer. I do like the idea of more than 70 for a cap, still, I just am not sure if I am for more than a cap of 100 characters or not.

Again, thanks so much for the quick answers as well as for doing a poll for us to be able to give our thoughts.