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ten_fwd_ooc2016-03-31 11:25 pm
ten_fwd_mods) wrote in ten_fwd_ooc2016-03-31 11:25 pm
Entry tags:
State of the Game
Edited 4/02/16: please see the end of the post for an update.
State of the Game:
We have heard you, players, and the overwhelming response so far has encouraged us to regroup and take your suggestions into discussion. It’s true that this game still has so much to offer and its players still have many stories to tell. Manpower is the ultimate issue we’re facing, but after some consideration we’ve thought of ways to combat it.
Rest assured that you still have a dedicated mod team who is motivated to keep Ten Forward alive. We love this game just as much as you do.
However, as we’ve decided that changes need to be made, we now need to hear from you. After looking at the suggestions from Plurk and the closing announcement post, the mods have come up with a series of suggestions for the future of the game.
It’s always been more relaxed than most games, but we’d like to move a bit more towards a sandbox structure by simplifying the overall mechanics. We would like to implement the following changes:
We would also like to put out a request for anyone to step forward who would like to dedicate themselves to being in a part-time, creative position. Expanding the plot and story of the game is something we’re very interested in doing and we’d love for more players to be involved in that.
Other ideas and suggestions are welcome and we might come up with more of our own as time goes on, but mostly our interests now lie in hearing your ultimate thoughts about the fate of the game.
We’d be grateful if you would take the time to answer our poll and also make comments below if you have them. We would love to hear from all of you.
The Poll will close Monday Evening.
ETA 4/02/16: In addition to the comments received below we have received a number of messages from players who are confused regarding conflicting information, as well as how the above proposed edits will take into consideration suggestions made from our last State of the Game all the way up through present concerns and suggestions. To that end we've realized that the brevity of this post might be misleading, and we would like to clarify by posting another State of the Game that addresses more of your suggestions, answers some of the FAQs, and specifically responds to those of you who have volunteered to help. Since the poll closes on Monday we thought we might post this FAQ on Monday, unless there are those of you who feel they cannot vote without this additional information because the options provided don't address your viewpoint. Please let us know if you are one of the players who would like this FAQ sooner than Monday.
However, two things should briefly be addressed now. The first is that the above proposed game changes are for the eventuality that the game IS turned into a sandbox. The four points above do not cover the reasons the mod team decided the game could no longer be managed. In fact, those four above game elements are some of the easiest elements of the game to manage. That leads into the second thing, which is that we incorrectly stated that if the game was turned into a sandbox the current plot schedule would continue as it has been. This is incorrect in that the inability to manage game plots is one of the reasons the team decided to close the doors, which means that if the game does go to a sandbox comm there would be NO mod organized game plots. As with most sandbox comms, plots would be up to the individual player.
We recognize that these two inconsistencies were hugely misleading in the way you may have voted on the poll, and for that we can only apologize. In the interests of full disclosure, this post was written by only two of the mods, while the other three did not know about it until after it was posted, and several key points were left out. We don't want to cause any undue frustration, but the positive response you players gave us was so bolstering that in our excitement we jumped the shark a little bit and did not fully express things out loud that we've been talking about so many times now as a team.
Please continue hitting us with your thoughts and questions either below, or for those of you who feel uncomfortable making a public comment you can continue reaching us on AIM, Plurk, by e-mail, or our Suggestion Box, where the comments are screened. Thanks! – The Mods
ETA the second, 4/02/16: If you need to change the way you voted, J has provided a step-by-step on how to do so. We have added further clarification in a reply there regarding this update, as it was still confusing to some people. Please let us know if you are still confused, we know discussion is happening in a lot of different places and we are trying to pull it all together in this comm so that everyone has a chance to see everything in an effort to clear that confusion up. Your patience and your love is deeply appreciated by all of us.
State of the Game:
We have heard you, players, and the overwhelming response so far has encouraged us to regroup and take your suggestions into discussion. It’s true that this game still has so much to offer and its players still have many stories to tell. Manpower is the ultimate issue we’re facing, but after some consideration we’ve thought of ways to combat it.
Rest assured that you still have a dedicated mod team who is motivated to keep Ten Forward alive. We love this game just as much as you do.
However, as we’ve decided that changes need to be made, we now need to hear from you. After looking at the suggestions from Plurk and the closing announcement post, the mods have come up with a series of suggestions for the future of the game.
It’s always been more relaxed than most games, but we’d like to move a bit more towards a sandbox structure by simplifying the overall mechanics. We would like to implement the following changes:
- Removal of AC, but keeping a monthly roll call to ensure the players’ continued involvement.
- Simplifying apps and removing the application period. You would be able to app a character at any time you’d like. However reserves would also be removed so it would become a first come first serve basis.
- Removing roommate assignments and the monthly sickbay posts. Simplified alternatives might be put in place, such as player-run rooming assignments and one combined monthly welcome post.
- A number of small plot opportunities added to the current plot schedule, as well as encouraged player-run plots.
We would also like to put out a request for anyone to step forward who would like to dedicate themselves to being in a part-time, creative position. Expanding the plot and story of the game is something we’re very interested in doing and we’d love for more players to be involved in that.
Other ideas and suggestions are welcome and we might come up with more of our own as time goes on, but mostly our interests now lie in hearing your ultimate thoughts about the fate of the game.
We’d be grateful if you would take the time to answer our poll and also make comments below if you have them. We would love to hear from all of you.
The Poll will close Monday Evening.
This poll is closed.
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: Just the Poll Creator, participants: 39
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: Just the Poll Creator, participants: 39
How do you feel about the future of Ten Forward?
Keep the game open and implement the new semi-sandbox structure with the stated changes
26 (66.7%)
Close the game as it is
8 (20.5%)
I have no preference/whatever everyone else wants
2 (5.1%)
Other (explain in a comment)
3 (7.7%)
ETA 4/02/16: In addition to the comments received below we have received a number of messages from players who are confused regarding conflicting information, as well as how the above proposed edits will take into consideration suggestions made from our last State of the Game all the way up through present concerns and suggestions. To that end we've realized that the brevity of this post might be misleading, and we would like to clarify by posting another State of the Game that addresses more of your suggestions, answers some of the FAQs, and specifically responds to those of you who have volunteered to help. Since the poll closes on Monday we thought we might post this FAQ on Monday, unless there are those of you who feel they cannot vote without this additional information because the options provided don't address your viewpoint. Please let us know if you are one of the players who would like this FAQ sooner than Monday.
However, two things should briefly be addressed now. The first is that the above proposed game changes are for the eventuality that the game IS turned into a sandbox. The four points above do not cover the reasons the mod team decided the game could no longer be managed. In fact, those four above game elements are some of the easiest elements of the game to manage. That leads into the second thing, which is that we incorrectly stated that if the game was turned into a sandbox the current plot schedule would continue as it has been. This is incorrect in that the inability to manage game plots is one of the reasons the team decided to close the doors, which means that if the game does go to a sandbox comm there would be NO mod organized game plots. As with most sandbox comms, plots would be up to the individual player.
We recognize that these two inconsistencies were hugely misleading in the way you may have voted on the poll, and for that we can only apologize. In the interests of full disclosure, this post was written by only two of the mods, while the other three did not know about it until after it was posted, and several key points were left out. We don't want to cause any undue frustration, but the positive response you players gave us was so bolstering that in our excitement we jumped the shark a little bit and did not fully express things out loud that we've been talking about so many times now as a team.
Please continue hitting us with your thoughts and questions either below, or for those of you who feel uncomfortable making a public comment you can continue reaching us on AIM, Plurk, by e-mail, or our Suggestion Box, where the comments are screened. Thanks! – The Mods
ETA the second, 4/02/16: If you need to change the way you voted, J has provided a step-by-step on how to do so. We have added further clarification in a reply there regarding this update, as it was still confusing to some people. Please let us know if you are still confused, we know discussion is happening in a lot of different places and we are trying to pull it all together in this comm so that everyone has a chance to see everything in an effort to clear that confusion up. Your patience and your love is deeply appreciated by all of us.
REGARDING POLL VOTING
1) sign in with the account you used to vote
2) look for the "Change your vote" link
3) this will take you back to the poll options
4) select the new option
5) click "answer"
Your new vote will then be recorded.
Re: REGARDING POLL VOTING
The confusion seems to boil down mainly to this: is this post including the people who have volunteered or is it implying that the game will definitely be turned into a sandbox under the purview of the current mod team? A number of players expressed that they felt their opinions weren't being taken into account and their offers ignored in favor of most definitely changing the game to a sandbox as the poll implies.
So in an effort to hopefully assuage everyone's conflicting impressions, this is what we mean: Players have suggested a lot of things, and some have said the poll does not give them enough options, pigeon-holing them into one of two choices only. If the game stays open as a sandbox in its current state, and we emphasize if, the current team will be leaving it to players to choose their own plots. However, we are offering to do a new post on Monday with answers to all the suggestions and offers received so that the many different opinions and concerns will all be addressed so nobody feels like they were pigeon-holed or ignored. It is our only desire to show the game that we are listening to everyone, not just first come first served.
We are not saying that if the game has new mods it can't be both a sandbox and a mod-plot driven game, we are just answering the players who have said that the messages in these two mod posts are conflicting in that in one we said we couldn't do something that in the second we said we could. It was a miscommunication, and rightly confusing to many people, and that's why we want players to continue leaving their ideas and opinions and not feel like our minds are already made up, so that on Monday we can take everyone's thoughts into account as a whole game to decide what the end result will be. Therefore if players' opinions are one of the two options listed in the poll, they can feel free to answer that way, but if they like neither option they can still be heard and taken into account on Monday, not being obligated to pick one of the two above options only.
We have heard and understand that choosing "Other (explain in a comment)" is not ideal for some players, and that the omission of a "I don't like either proposed option" ticky box caused most of the confusion in the first place, but if you can let us know of your preferences in a comment it will help us. If you can't, you can always still contact us privately, and we will take those comments into just as serious consideration as the ones in the poll. However, we encourage anyone who doesn't like either proposed option to chose the "Other" ticky box anyway, even if you can't leave a comment, so that we can get an unbiased idea of how the game feels as a whole on the subject.
We hope that helps clear some things up, and of course invite everyone to continue letting us know if there is still confusion.
no subject
I personally have many thoughts and ideas surrounding this whole situation, but when THIS post went up went up only four hours after the original post (I saw them both the same morning), it did read as if a decision had been made in that short time, so I was one of those who thought 'why should I comment if they've decided'.
Now that I understand where things stand, I'll think about how to phrase all the many thoughts running through my head. I've been a mod who's had to shut down a game and in several games where various methods for shutting down/converting to sandboxes has happened. Basically, I've been on several sides of this coin, but it means my thoughts are a bit jumbled and mixed in with my emotions over this specific game. I hope to post something this weekend, but might not be until Sunday night.