TEMPERATURE CHECK

[baymods]

⋆✩ temperature check ✩⋆

STATE OF THE GAME

Hello everyone! Welcome to our very first temperature check, where we discuss how things are going, what we like or don't like, what might change, and all related concerns about how the game is running. The game is brand new, but there is a lot that's flexible in how we are running things, so we wanted to open the floor for discussion on a number of things so far. There are currently 16 players in the game, which makes for a wonderfully cozy vibe oocly, while also welcoming even more direct character impact on the plot than you might experience if the game were, say, 50 players or so. So, with that in mind, we have a few things in mind.

PACING & SCHEDULES
We found that the early TDM made for a lot of downtime between TDM prompts and the actual application acceptances, so moving forward, we're looking to shift the scheduling on a number of things. First, rather than application rounds, we are interested in keeping applications and reserves open at all times. This would mean that the personalized acceptance notices can still get the attention they deserve without detracting so many days in a row of mod time. Reserves would have a designated length of time before expiring (1 week, probably) where mods would reply with the expiration date when confirming a reservation. With this method, we would still have a designated chunk of time to accept applications, but there would no longer be an ooc intro, and instead we would post regular bi-monthly plotting posts. We would like to hear opinions and feelings on this as a decision before moving forward with it!

Secondly, we had placed extra prompts for the following month into the TDM in order to try and make up for the distance between app acceptances and TDM, but it seemed to only create confusion. So moving forward, TDMs will only have prompts for the month of character arrival, with no specific time limits other than the arrival prompt itself. We still want to give just as much in terms of prompt amount, but the timing will be better. TDMs will also work as the event for the month for in game players, so will not solely focus on arrivals, either. TDMs are still planned to occur every other month.

Here is a rough idea of the schedule we have in mind moving forward:

TDM MONTHS
1st QUESTS POSTED (mostly smaller quests)
3rd QUEST SIGN UPS OPEN
10th TDM
15th-20th APPS PROCESSED

QUEST HEAVY MONTHS
1st QUESTS POSTED WITH OOC PLOTTING POST (heavier, plottier quests along with smaller)
3rd QUEST SIGN UPS OPEN
15th EVENT LOG (this would likely be just guilds doing smaller things, or if theres a festival, etc, and the heavier plot comes from quests, so no plotting post for this)

If this schedule seems to appeal to most everyone in game currently, then the calendar page will be updated to reflect it, and March will be considered a Quest heavy month. We will wrap results from the nightmare question on our last post into the quests, so look forward to that! EDIT: There has been a suggestion to make March a TDM month instead, so give your opinion here!

QUESTS
Moving forward, we would like to release quests and board rankings on the 1st of each month, with sign-ups opening a couple days later on the 3rd of the month. We would do this with the idea that quests could be threaded throughout the month. We also plan on increasing the number of quests, especially when it comes to rescue quests and exploration quests. The quest page may be adjusted slightly moving forward, as we would like to streamline rescue quests to have more "fill in the blank" RNG responses that still provide a customized experience that's fun to roleplay, but also don't take multiple days for us (the single mod) to write out. These may also be renamed to "help quests" or something else in the future to allow for more types of prompts, and varying additional rewards.

Those heavier, plottier quests would be exploration quests (or unique quests, in the future), and this month we limited those fairly heavily. In the future, we're considering making them unlimited, but with the caveat that you can only get points from each one once.

Essentially, with this and the rough schedule above, we'd go for an alternating "arrival, TDM + light quests" month and "heavier plot quests + guild activities/bonding" month.

FAQ/QUESTIONS
We would just like to make a note that most theoretical questions are handled on a case by case basis, so if you're looking to apply for a character that is unique in some way, or have some other unique circumstances, please make use of the mod contact post to work it out with us at the time of the TDM.

We also would like to mention that while we are fine with answering quick questions on plurk that may not apply to everyone, all relevant questions should be asked under question headers or in the FAQ so that others can see the answers. We will not always be able to view or respond to plurk questions in a timely fashion, and some questions are not suitable for plurk.

GENERAL FEEDBACK
Are we handling everything okay so far? Are we yapping too much? We're going for a very transparent and personalized approach that might feel different from most DWRP games these days, so we'd love feedback on anything and everything! Application standards, the app itself, quest content, anything we didn't cover in this post yet. And also, out of curiosity— do you prefer to have long posts collapsible, or just behind a cut but in full view?

For the above schedule, we have one main OOC plotting post, as the smaller quests we assume would be fine to reach out individually based on preferred contact listed on the taken page. Does this sound good? Would players benefit from the mod plurking a "plotting plurk" on smaller quest months for quick and easy plotting? Are players in need of additional options for plotting, such as a discord channel, or would this be uncomfortable for anyone? Keep in mind that if a discord channel is desired, we would not have time to moderate it ourselves and would appoint two moderators for managing the channel. Also please know that OOC communication will ALWAYS be placed on the ooc comms when relevant to the game, and that plurk or discord are not meant to be replacements, but just additional tools should players desire them.

CLOSING COMMENTS
Thank you all again for your patience. If you'd like to give feedback privately, the mod contact page is screened for your convenience. Otherwise, feel free to use this post for discussion, bouncing ideas off of one another, or however you'd like!

Ideally, we'd like to do a temperature check in another 6 months or so, but could do one in as soon as 3 months if it seems like things need discussion.

Lastly, thank you all for the patience in dealing with little bumps and delays! NPC threads and exploration quest results will come as soon as possible, but if you need something worked out sooner for IC reasons, please feel free to use the mod contact to speak with us about it OOCly. The mod is currently dealing with unexpected RL interruptions that will hopefully clear up over the next month, but we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused!

Comments

[truthdecided]

I think keeping apps/reserves open is a fine idea, if you think it'd be more manageable that way. There's always the option to adjust it later, if you feel the game size is becoming more difficult to manage. You could also do what some other games do and keep them open, but process apps every two weeks, etc. Victory Road, I believe, processes apps on a fortnightly basis, but I'm not sure if that'd be easier to manage with personalized intros.

I like the idea of quests going up before sign ups to give people time to plot! I think having a designated post on the OOC community to go with quests going up would be the most accessible option, with options to move to more private contact (e.g. plurk, PMs, discord) as an addition rather than a replacement. I know a few players are less familiar with plurk, so it'd be a great way to facilitate communications for those who favor the main comms/PMs.

That being said, I think the happiest medium might be to have an optional discord server people can join if they wish, while still leaving the OOC comm as the primary place for plotting, and plurk/DM also working for more immediate plotting for those who want to do so. There are advantages and disadvantages to both, and I think having a cozy group chat might be fun as a side thing.

As for the TDM, if apps do change to being open all the time, might I suggest a new TDM to accompany it? Just a little refresh of sorts. Then maybe continue with new TDMs every two months or so, as mentioned?

UPDATE ON SCHEDULE

[baymods]

It was brought up on plurk that there are a handful of people waiting for the next TDM, so we are heavily considering making March a TDM month instead!

In this case, nightmare question results will be fit into the TDM, instead. Plus one this comment if you like this change, please!

[favorforafavor]

i like the schedule outline and appreciate how thorough, clear, and concise you are! it's been really helpful as a player and the effort is recognized! i think the level of communication is good-- not too much, just right from my pov. i'm a fan of the move regarding the TDM prompts.

i've been amazed at the level of personalization that you've put into each player's acceptances and quest responses, how are you feeling about that on your end? i'm a huge fan (and i know the playerbase is, we're all gushing about it) but want to mutually check in on this!

i saw it mentioned that it's recommended for prospective players to hold off until the april TDM, do you think that'll be alright if apps/reserves are continuously open?

anyway i know there are a few questions posed here so no rush. thanks as always for your hard work!

[not_damned_yet]

pretty good so far! i very appreciate the amount of player interaction there is.

i second the suggestion for a discord server or at the very least an OOC plotting thread, i'd love to have a place to throw out interest checks or plot with people more easily than going to everyone's DMs individually.

as well as that, i think individual events should have their own posts. the first TDM had multiple events in it and it was a little confusing/awkward to deal with since they all had different approximate start dates, too. i think (using the first TDM as an example) having the arrival be the TDM, having an open post for the festival, and a third post for the nightmare plotline would've made it easier to organize.

also, another suggestion: maybe there could be a general worldbuilding post? things like common knowledge, the general known geography of the surrounding area, mythology, etcetera. i'll be honest this is because i happened to pick a character who is heavy on the information gathering and i am a bit anxious about asking about every small detail on the mod contact page, so having a post dedicated to things that would be able to be found out via talking to townsfolk/reading up on things/learned through simply existing might be helpful (and more intensive digging can then be asked directly on the mod contact). i hope that makes sense!

anyways, thanks for this game because it's been fun as hell so far.

[firealone]

I think you're doing great so far! I'm really blown away by the amount of care and energy going into the personalized intros, I think the questionnaires are much easier to answer than writing a personality section, and I feel like you're fostering a really friendly and inviting player base too.

My only note as a player who is very new to quest-oriented games, is that I think it would be nice to have a post up somewhere that explains the logistics of RPing quests (in terms of like, whether we should all be taking terms writing for the NPC involved, or designate someone to play them, or mysterious third option, and how much of a thread needs to get done to submit it, and... other things I might not be thinking of)? I've mostly played in slice-of-life games so I'm truly not sure what I'm doing but I'm eager to participate.

I also really like the idea of a discord server, mostly because some of our players aren't on plurk so I'd love another method to contact them other than individual DMs. I'd also be happy to help moderate it but I understand if you'd rather not have players doing that.

[seacub]

This was noted on the Plurk announcement, but I think making a sort of soft-schedule regarding the regular apps might be a good idea- having a designated processing day per week, and otherwise leaving the apps open, should help to avoid interrupting other planned events. I know it was suggested to have set weeks, reserves and applications going back and forth, but personaly I feel that loses the feeling of being open at all times. Just have a set day for the game to be handling processing, so that people know when to expect it.

That said- I did see that you're worried about losing out on the personalization flavor as a result of this; my advice then would be to stick to the every-other-month, open-closed apps. There was a lot of charm in those initial acceptances, and if that's something you enjoy creating, I think prospective players will prefer that to a 'fast acceptance' by far. This game is brand new and it already shows so much heart and care, and that's something that deserves attention.

Now, moving onto the TDM versus Quest months, and the quests themselves! I think everyone's already weighed in a good amount on this (albeit in plurk), but provided it's not somehow causing a great pile of work out of nowhere I do agree that a TDM in March would be wise- if you're encouraging regular applications, a fresh TDM will do wonders for that, and as well, it'll help ease the slow-down that happened from the confusion over February (Since I suspect much of the slowdown on replying to such prompts was because of how far down the line February felt)

In terms of the number of quests, I think that you have a good number already (particularly if this was meant to be a 'quest Light' month), but that also might be because we have a nice cozy number of players. It might be good to watch for how much bigger the game gets before increasing that quest board too too much, unless you anticipate keeping certain quests on that board.

For the moment, they shouldn't get so snapped up with your 24 hour rule in place either; I think it would be best to see how quickly the Limited quests are taken in the next board announcement before changing the number/limit, etc. Many of us moved really quickly this time, but again, all of those people will now need to wait 24 hours, giving others a chance. And it may well be that...not so many people go for them next time!

Whatever the case, I would say it's definitely best to find a good way to streamline responses from the Mod end before increasing that number- you want to make less work from the Mod end, not more after all!

Regarding plotting, I think the best way to handle things is to encourage the use of the OOC community; I've seen so, so many cases where creating discord avenues or dedicated plurks, just...causes the OOC plotting posts to fizzle entirely in their activity, and that's really a shame! Because some people...Still prefer using the OOC com! And while the Mod voice is always there, a lot of the players end up not, and it can become pretty isolating. So I think, 'no' on making a dedicated plurk, and on the discord end, if players want to contact each other then that's in their hands, but stick to encouraging the OOC com as an option.

Anyway, above all, hang in there on the RL! Look after yourself dear Dedenne!

[bladeofnymeia]

Hello mods! I'm just going to jot down my thoughts as I read, hope you don't mind.

I'm alright with the OOC intro changing to a plotting post, and I know that's something I'd like to make more use of if implemented. I think in general you guys are full within your rights to try out open reserves/apps and see how that feels! I do wonder how that will influence the game's mechanics in regard to how new arrivals...arrive...but I'm sure that's something that will work out as well. No opinion either way on March being a TDM or Plot month - I'm cool with whatever. But I do like the idea of alternating months between TDM and Plot as a way to incorporate the latter better into the game itself. Thumbs up from me!

Big yes to threading out those quests through the month! Whether they're big important explorations or just gathering resources, they're a great avenue for us to build CR between players, I think. Gives us more avenues than just making a network post or popping a log on the community and hoping people are interested in it.

I appreciate how open you guys are! It makes you very approachable. And I for one enjoy the collapsible cuts on long posts, it lets me keep open the bits I'm working on responding to without having to go back and forth too much through everything. Also it's nice and neat!

I'm not really into a discord personally, only because it can be a mess to manage busy ones - but I do think a mod plotting plurk where people can put out feelers and then take their plotting somewhere else would be cool! Like, it could be posted, and I could comment "hey, I'd like Firoza to do x, is anyone else interested in doing that with her?" and someone could say yes and we could go private plurk about it to keep the mod plurk from getting cluttered. It's good for the small stuff, or the in-between official ooc plotting posts on the community which would have the bigger things. That being said, I know people prefer discord or don't use plurk...it's just an option that's available.

That's my two cents - hope things irl clear up soon for you!

[shotinhead]

First of all, you're doing amazing.

I would actually be uncomfortable with a OOC Discord. I'm not in the primary time zone of everybody else - and thus, I already sometimes have issues feeling like I've been left behind when plotting happens and then I stroll in five minutes late with Staryubucks. Even on Plurk, sometimes, I feel this same demi-FOMO, and with a Discord? I feel like it'd both cannibalize the OOC community, and have similar issues.

I also hope that you have stuff pre-written a little (even if it still needs to be personalized) - more for your own mental health. As a DM for a TTRPG game, and a former DWRP mod, I know how stressful it can be. I also wanted to ask, out of curiousity - do you have a comfortable size for the game to be? Would you rather it remain small, or would you like it larger?

I'm also loving how much you communicate with us. RE: The FAQ and unique circumstances, this is why I honestly figured out how I would bring Perrin here myself. (I really don't think many other characters have a body disconnected from their brain.)

Take your time with things. And remember to reach out if you need help with any of the more technical issues of running a game!