activity + state of the game

[groundrules]

Hi everyone! Welcome, officially, to………… autumn. Monthly wrap of admin trinkets below!

SEPTEMBER ACTIVITY CHECK

Hi guys! The activity check (AC) is handled in-house, and you do not need to do anything unless your character is listed below. Please remember to use character tags for posts and logs you tag into — there’s been a bit of a decline in that, and it makes it difficult to hunt down your activity. If you’re uncomfortable tagging all the time, just doing so for posts/threads where you’ve met activity requirements is a-okay!

Regular activity requirements are one of the following during the AC month:

■ a network post
■ OR 10 text/network-style comments across at most two threads
■ OR five log comments across at most two threads

Activity can be carried out on either the game communities or character inboxes.

In August, I couldn’t find sufficient activity for...

Lee Chang | jeoha | RECLAIMED
Winnifred Prismall | soulsrob | RECLAIMED
Catra | plentystrong
Vanya Hargreeves | remugient | RECLAIMED
Jiang Cheng | consignation | RECLAIMED

Comment here or PM @ groundrules until 5 September if you’d like to reclaim your character, or if they have August activity that was missed!

■ Our resident Sith Lord Archeval ( darkeststars ) will be out of Taravast in September on a plot-linked assignment that will span a mod-agreed hiatus. But! He remains reachable for light threading at his inbox.


OTHER ADMIN

■ The Story So Far page has been updated with a summary of the Taravast plot covered so far, if you need to catch up!

■ As characters are still working in the background to chase a poisoning cure, the next event write-up will go up on 4 September. The calendar page will be updated at that time. You can do last-minute prop/plotting for the very real poison antidote hunt here.

■ An informal discord server has been set up for Eastbound — you should have been PMed a link by now, but please drop a line if that hasn’t been the case, and you’re interested in participating.

■ For a refresher on who's on #TeamVannozza or #TeamMacaluso, the list lies here.


STATE OF THE GAME

■ GAME VIBES | eastbound has been alive and somehow still kicking since late March, and now’s a good time to check in on how people are still feeling about the game momentum. If we’re all at the end of our rope, we can plan for a wind-down after Arc II. This is not an endgame announcement — just asking how everyone is enjoying the game! If you don’t mind just dropping some thoughts here, that would be helpful!

■ BLOOOOOOD | The game was set up as invite-only while I befriended the modding ropes, and I’m humbled it’s more than tripled in size since. There are player-felt advantages to a larger playerbase (variety in characters/speed/ideas), but speaking from the mod point of view — a larger number of players makes it substantially easier to drive the plot forward, mod-side.

With that in mind, I wanted to ask how everyone would feel about making the game public / removing the invite-only status, provided we kept eastbound capped, with app sessions absorbing new players in small increments. If you can all leave some feedback here, that would be great! This is likely to be a more sensitive topic for some players than others, so please only respond to the main comment.

A COUPLE OF PLOT ROLLS...

Minor organic follow-ups or wrenches thrown in, based on recent plot developments or character actions. If you want a character roll, comment here. But please act on designer plot rolls! No handwaving.

■ Over the course of September, the grumpy ghost residents of the haunted house "inherited" by Lily and Wei Wuxian will mention that several necromancers and other magic users keep barging in and ruining their peace and quiet. They never stay long.

■ Wrath obtains two more disciples, also paying their learning fees. In mid-September, they will mention that donna Vannozza has sent out word in the necromantic districts asking for practitioners to carry out a special summon/exorcism rites. They will ask if their master is participating.

■ Diego Hargreeves' suit with Macaluso continues, now with Vannozza's approval and with less competition*. He will receive multiple invitations to various higher-level functions. He and his wolves are accommodated in a separate part of Macaluso's wing of the Spina palace.

■ *following Alina's anonymous reveal to the Piazza, negative sentiment bolsters against Lady Odile, who ultimately abandons her suit and Taravast. Knowing she was likely betrayed by one of the very people she sought to warn, she repays their 'kindness' by inciting all her local acquaintances against them. Throughout September, Fox, Mingyu, Wen Kexing, Zhou Zishu, Xie Lian and Alina will be subjected to repeat instances of court bullying (rumours, fewer event invitations, their rooms raided), also finding they enjoy a frostier reception from sorcery schools.

Comments

CHARACTER RECLAIMS

[groundrules]

If the AC gods didn't smile upon you in August, but you'd like to stick around.

Re: CHARACTER RECLAIMS

[soulsrob]

raises hand for Winnie and Vanya (remugient).

jiang cheng reporting

[consignation]

My bad I am just really going thru it right now, I hope to have expanded availability henceforth.

lee chang reporting

[jeoha]

I'M SO SORRY I thought I'd got enough in but I had not

Can I please reclaim I will do extra for him this month

THEM FEELS, THEM VIBES

[groundrules]

Just a check-in about how everyone is feeling re: their own momentum/engagement with the game & whether we're on to go forward.

[bearshermark]

I'm just getting started with El, recovering his power and slowly coming into his own. Looking forward to fascinating development for him the longer this game runs for, but! Already have an end-game in mind for him, so I could wrap him up if others are growing weary. Thanks for all the fun so far!

[gladiokinesis]

I just joined the game and I have to say I've been really jazzed by how easy it was to jump into things and get involved. I've been a little on the slow side because life but I'm very excited to see how things shake out.

and you know, diego will continue to make questionable choices like he has now.

[jeoha]

Honestly I've loved the set up and I feel bad that I haven't been engaging as much as I should be - my meds have my mood and drive absolutely everywhere right now. I know it is probably frustrating for others, so if people would prefer I bow out I will, but I honestly love this game and I am so grateful for all your hard work.

[somebadnews]

I enjoy everything, to be honest! The intros you give new characters when they app is one of my favorite things, it makes it so easy for them to slide right in without having to figure out how to get involved. (I MISS... THE SILLY PUN USERNAMES THOUGH.) I've never been in a game that took such a personal approach and it's so fun. I really really really love that let me say it again.

The plots have been great too. The plot TWISTS omg I'm still not over Haltham. I know at first I was a little overwhelmed at how much plot, but now that I'm used to it, I don't want to be without. It's a good plot and I really love all the NPCs and how varied they are. Fantastic stuff.

I also love how the characters have shaped the plot and it really feels like their decisions matter. It helps that I adore the player base! You're all fantastic writers I'm just trying to keep pace with you.

There is sometimes more on the calendar than what I see played out completely, but I think the forward plot momentum is great so I don't see it as a problem. THIS IS A GOOD GAME. Whenever I'm slow it's just my dumb brain forgetting how words work, but I am completely into it.

[rumorate]

I've really been enjoying my time here thus far. The game feels really cozy in the best way, and I especially love how I've been able to hit the ground running with regards to engagement with the plot. I am definitely down to stick things out as we keep moving forward.

[valeas]

I app'd recently so my momentum is still a+ as is my engagement with the game and its plots, shy turtle that I am. Not to sound too mushy but I really do love everything about it and have no complaints/observations which is maybe unhelpful.

Legit me as I try to untangle this Taravast web and what happened the night of the poisoning.

[binghua]

I'm so very chill with the game momentum right now and I really like that there is generally always something to do, but it's not overwhelming. Even if I'm the person who's always like "what is happening," but that's a me problem and not the game. But yeah! I love the whole concept and then vibes we've got going, so I'm down to clown for more, as long as everyone else, mod and player alike, has the energy!

[weifinder]

I know you've got the calendar in constant thoughtful hum, but it feels like we might even need be less ambitious there with the ebb and flow for numbers engaging with plot--and it does seem to some degree network engagement flows easily for many, where logs have been a touch trickier, to whatever extent (and can be my bias speaking from lack of seeing the whole).

I'm enjoying what I have going on, though I want to up presence again in the latter half of September (I've got things to juggle the front half), and appreciate all the thought and effort that goes into the game as a whole. There are always things to engage with, or question and find ways forward on, or complete curveballs to toss or catch and run with. I love that, and how it does come down to what player characters are deciding.

[paperbutterflies]

I am absolutely having a great time, and my momentum here is the best I'm having anywhere, and thank you so much for lighting this up for us!

[inferus]

I am absolutely loving the game so far. There's so much to engage with with the plot and the setting, and it's so much fun to see how the characters can influence what is happening and how it changes plots/the world around them. I'm very impressed with watching things unfold and participating and seeing how my character's actions/other characters actions result in consequences.

I'm also ridiculously excited about this plot roll that I have been so wonderfully given, and Wrath will definitely be looking into seeing if he can participate/finding out what information he can about what is going on!! Yay more disciples :D

[fated_dance]

I feel the pace is a little faster than I was expecting, and a bit more than I can keep up with - I'm on the fence on if I should try and stick around with this character, as much as I love what I have done.

That said, I love the custom intros and touches you give to each new applicant!

[wooden_one]

It's been years since I've been in a game without an app cycle so that threw me for a loop at first, haha.

But the game has been lovely so far and I've been enjoying myself! I like that a lot of character actions have consequences on the setting and NPC interactions which are often harder to find in larger games...if only because logistically that would be a nightmare in a 100+ character game.

Once work starts up if my energy level allows I definitely want to bring in a second character! Thank you for all your hard work! <3

INVITE-ONLY STATUS

[groundrules]

The question at present is whether to stick with an invite-only status, or open the game. Some of the advantages of opening the game are character and interaction variety, as well as moving the plot easier mod-side.

Some of the disadvantages are lower familiarity with new players.

Please leave your views here, particularly if you think any change would greatly affect your enjoyment of the game.

Please respond individually to this comment — just to avoid anyone feeling overwhelmed for their points of view, if they get too many answers.

[bearshermark]

I think opening the game would allow for further cast diversity, so I'd be happy to see it!

Re: INVITE-ONLY STATUS

[lancifolium]

I like the invite only aspect of the game, personally. Public isn't for me.

Re: INVITE-ONLY STATUS

[silverneedles]

I waffled on this but I like the invite-only status.

Re: INVITE-ONLY STATUS

[wenderer]

I like the current system of invite only with periodic tdms where people who are motivated to join but don’t know anyone can contact the mod. There’s something to be said for playing with friends and friends of friends.

[jeoha]

I like the invite-only, but also I would like to lower the workload on you, so if you think that open applications would help that, I'll support you!

LAST-MINUTE ANTIDOTE PLOTTING

[groundrules]

That poison, what can you do. Sorted for an antidote? Still hustling? Let's hear it.

[rumorate]

Not so much plotting but a slightly-adjacent general question: Are the crystals off limits to the higher ups in Taravast or would Allison have to specifically close a post to keep like Macaluso and Vannozza from seeing it?

PLOT ROLLS

[groundrules]

You can request your very own plot roll for September here. To keep things fair, if you request & receive one, it has to come in play and can't simply be handwaved.

[weifinder]

With the Plot Rolls that those of us have already, in following up on them, do you want that in a specific format? Do you want to be old grumpy ghosts that Wei Wuxian tries chatting up. (I laugh, but yeah.)