End of Year Discussion Post

[animusmods]

It's the beginning of the end of the world of 2012, Animus! The game has been open for about eighteen months, and since it's the end of the year, let's have a discussion post. Here's how this is going to work: this post will be divided up into subcategories, and you guys can discuss among yourselves and with us whatever you want about the topic in question. Tell us things you want to see, tell us things you want us to stop doing, tell us things we're doing right if you want!

Please remain civil in your discussions; we will be watching the post and will step in if things get too heated anywhere. Respect each others' opinions even if you don't agree with them. Anonymous commenting is currently enabled, but will be disabled if abused.


Topics: Questions | Plot | Gameplay | Activity | Miscellaneous

Comments

QUESTIONS

[animusmods]

This is for anything you would like us to clarify--it can be something you've always been uncertain about or something that comes up in one of the other threads here!

[mostremaining]

I was going to ask this in the FAQ section, but... this is right here. :'D

If a character wants to get something from the restaurant, do we have to consult a mod regarding what the restaurant wants in return? Or can we just handwave it/RP it out ourselves?

[animusmods]

You don't have to consult a moderator, it's fine to handwave or RP the consequences on your own.

PLOT

[animusmods]

This section is for anything that has to do with the plot and NPCs of the game, as well as the general way we handle plots in Animus. You can talk about what you'd like to see in the future as well as what's currently happened/happening!

[attheclocktower]

I'd like to start this off by saying that this is only a suggestion/potential idea and I welcome any and all discussion/modification to this idea because I realize that... yeah.

Basically something I've noticed and seen discussed with a few people is that while the game hasn't devolved into slice of life - you've done an excellent job keeping it from becoming that! - there is a certain element where things are becoming... routine. If that makes sense. Events and things like experiments, games and Ruana's post help, but in the end after the events are over characters can go back to their routines - whether or not they actually do so.

Some of this does come down to the playerbase and what they decide to do with their characters, I'll definitely admit that - like if I hadn't had burnout during the October event and been able to play more with Xion's twisted side she probably would be coping with things a lot differently, but... I still think that overall things have gotten a bit status-quo-ish for the overarching plot. Or maybe that's because I can't see the bigger picture, I don't know.

I realize this is really vague but... I thought it might be interesting to have something that would shake those routines up. Something that would change how the characters interact with the Tower or each other, how they view themselves or the admins or their worlds or something. It can be the characters thinking they're making progress only for something worse to happen, or something drastic to change in the Tower itself, or just some massive paradigm shift of some sort.

I understand though that there are a lot of problems with this - what I'm talking about is threatening to tread onto the ground of massive gameplay changes which would be difficult to facilitate and even more difficult to get everybody on board with, and it's difficult to make big, potentially game-changing stuff like this that you can opt out of.

That's why I want to open this idea for discussion, even if it's coming up with other ideas, or even just everybody disagreeing with me. I'm personally okay with things staying/progressing as they are for now, but I just want to help with ways of keeping characters guessing and having lots to do with them and... yeah.

[warriorscribe]

I don't think it's possible for a game to not develop a baseline of status quo unless every single event was an earthshaker, which can be exhausting to write and moderate and alienating to newbies trying to settle in. It's in human nature to develop a routine, so you're going to see routines emerge and stick, long term and short term. It's been part of real human survival for millennia, so fictional people, human or not, in a survival situation...

Anyway, I get the feeling the plot will shake things up on its own as it continues. Just my own vibes regarding it. But I like that the plot is leisurely, it's got a good pace to settle into.

Re: PLOT

[always_lies]

I would like to see a shake up in the types of horror events we regularly see in the Tower.

So far it's focused very heavily in the body mutilation/changing and dying factor. I'd like to see more psychological horror hit the characters, or more horror involved with the soul aspect. The game just set itself up very nicely after Ruana's discussion for things like that, actually!

[warriorscribe]

+1

And by the way, Mel (I know you're watching!)? THANK YOU SO MUCH for Enoch's costume being all psychological in its effect on him. Survivor's guilt from seeing all the body horror and realizing eventually he had no free will? Love it! That kind of mixup should happen more often, it's a lot of fun.

GAMEPLAY

[animusmods]

This section is for anything involved in the general gameplay of Animus--roommates, trunks, the job system, that sort of thing.

[reddeadvirtuoso]

In continuing the proud list mod tradition, I demand an exploding kitten floor.

[animusmods]

get out

[thisclinchesit]

I SECOND THIS MOTION.

[viditlibertas]

+1

Re: GAMEPLAY

[always_lies]

I'd love to see more jobs and different types of jobs in the Tower. And perhaps the option to change jobs or be on a rotating job schedule.

And perhaps have a few of the jobs reveal small hints of things not yet revealed in game. That's always fun.

[dreamprotector]

Needs a twisted beach floor. I mean- mo_om

Also, this might just be my feeling, but the job system doesn't seem very popular/known? Idek. :|a

Re: GAMEPLAY

[doctor_dismemberment]

I will always suggest a cave floor

I've already told cee but I feel it needs to be brought up again, because

come on

caves are fucking terrifying

[worldrestored]

Okay a few ideas:

> Giant Playpen Level with kids toys that might seem innocent at first. The longer you stay there, the more your minds reverts to being a child's until you die because you are helpless on the floor just crying and not being able to do anything (note that the change is mental only; you wouldn't physically regress with age)

> Clown Level. Just balloons everywhere and soft music but then clowns. Clowns.

> Minecraft-like floor. While you can't mine for things, there could be things like creepers. Maybe a few cows for food.

> Trunks once in a while should turn into this:

[friendlyfiend]

I feel as if this is potentially a stupid newbie question and/or one with an obvious answer, but as a general rule is it safe to assume that character abilities and powers are okay to use unless specifically noted otherwise?

Finally with the right journal

[justabignobody]

Also, now that I think about it... I think the bestiary page should be updated more often. Idek, but it seems like it has been a while since the last time.

ACTIVITY

[animusmods]

This section is for activity in the game in general: network versus logs, our activity check, etc.

[egotist]

I think minimum activity requirements are a little too lax. Ten comments is something most people should be able to make in less than a week, some even within 2-3 days. They could probably be raised or offer IC rewards for those who do more than just the bare minimum.

Thank you for listening to my concern.

[dreamprotector]

(Icey in the wrong Riku journal, but-)

It's been a few month since it came up, but I still like the idea of having an IC-Bulletin Board with disappearing notes. :|a

Also, I agree with the ten comments being fine as AC. Given that the AC is so relaxed, I think it justifies not exempting characters who were just accepted, didn't comment to the next AC and aren't on hiatus though.

MISCELLANEOUS

[animusmods]

This is for any topic that doesn't fit into the ones we've provided for you! Please put your topic in your subject. This will let people easily see what you want to discuss!

[thousandcurses]

I am not sure where else this would go, but. Thank you, mods, for being easy to talk to and listening. I've been in a couple of games in the past where you couldn't turn to the mods, and any crit on how they were handling the game even if it was running it into the ground was met with dismissal. So, thanks and stay great.

[keybearer]

This has been suggested on the mod contact post, but I would like to bring it here for public discussion.

In any case, with Animus getting bigger, I would like to propose adding another slot per character so that the game would allow one OU and two AUs. Why?

Well, the current system is tricky. While having the two AU slots works for certain characters with little canon, it can result on canon chars being blocked from apping, which happened with Rose Lalonde briefly. By guaranteeing a slot for OU while still allowing the two AUs, you'd open up potential for some fun new character concepts while ensuring that an OU character will always have a chance to app in.

So, yeah. Just curious to see what the playerbase thinks about this.