MAY ACTIVITY + TDM POLL

[groundrules]

Ahoy, merry May!

ACTIVITY CHECK

You do not need to do anything unless your character is listed below. Please try to use character tags when you make or tag into posts or logs — it helps find your activity!

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. Leave a comment until 5 May to reclaim a character, or if they have activity that hasn't been tracked.

There was not enough activity found last month for:

Chu Wanning | Husky and His White Cat — ACTIVITY PROOFS PROVIDED
Xue Yang | Mo Dao Zu Shi — RECLAIMED
Slick | Star Wars — RECLAIMED
Sumeragi Subaru | X/1999 — RECLAIMED
Winnie Prismall | Original — RECLAIMED

ADMIN

■ The May calendar is now up, including dates for the upcoming Arc IV vote.

■ The Story So far page has been updated with a summary of April plot events.

■ Get involved with the latest quests covering 1h May here.

TDM POLL

As things stand, we are likely to post the log covering the grand finale of Arc III: The House of Ravens at some point on 18-21 May, spanning three weeks. This will include a fair bit of all-hands-on-deck action, followed by an attempt to light up the Sanwon beacon *if the party doesn’t blow it up.

Question: would you prefer to have the quarterly Test Drive Meme:

A. overlap with Arc III finale, so new recruits can join the game through the beacon attempt
B. take place in early June TDM during the travel Arc, but have two back-to-back log events
C. carried out as an independent event for TDMers only, separate from the group and group events?

Please answer here by 23:59 GMT on 8 May — it’s really appreciated!

Thank you, everyone!

Comments

AC RECLAIMS

[groundrules]

Heya! Drop a line if you want to take a strike and reclaim a character or if any of their activity wasn't logged.

Please note that reclaimed characters cannot be hiatused or earn another strike over May-June, barring exceptional circumstances.

Thanks!

[sergeant_slick]

I'll take a strike on Slick, I was a bit sparse on the ground this past month. Thank you!

[groundrules]

That's logged for you, thank you!

[wooden_one]

I have these: 1 and 2. Though if threads backtagged from previous months don't count then I'll just take a strike!

[groundrules]

Heya — they'll do this round, but, yes, ideally something started during the AC month. Small request: can you make sure to tag the posts you comment into? Thaaaaaanks.

[wooden_one]

I'll make sure to do that! Thank you.

[thesuspense]

I'll take a strike and I'm so sorry and I shall better myself posthaste.

(I really mean it, but I am out of good icons atm, so I look insincere.)

[groundrules]

That's reclaimed for you, thanks!

Re: AC RECLAIMS

[soulsrob]

raises hand to reclaim The Girl

[groundrules]

Thank you, logged!

[sacral]

reclaiming so i may finally walk among you come mid-late may

[groundrules]

That's all done for you, thanks!

TDM POLL

[groundrules]

Hi! Just a call for opinions regarding our upcoming Test Drive Meme (TDM) timeline, please. Each route has its pros and cons. Please chip in by responding with a handsome +1 to the option you think works best. Thank you!

OVERLAP THE TDM WITH THE ARC FINALE

[groundrules]

PRO: TDMers get right into the thick of things. New characters can organically appear following the attempt to light up the Sanwon beacon, so they wouldn't be involved with the worst of the chaos.

CONS: players might feel inclined to prioritise Arc III wrap-up for their existing characters, rather than new TDM threads.

+1

[cairhien]

EARLY-JUNE TDM DURING TRAVEL ARC

[groundrules]

Post the TDM as a separate log after the Arc III wrap.

PROS: fresh start, no lore for TDMers to be saddled with

CONS: burn-out risk for existing players to deal with two mod-led legs in close proximity (20-ish May, then 10ish June), which could seep into paying TDMers less attention

+1

[beitangmoran]

+1

[traaaaaash]

idk this seems like the most attractive option to me

+1

[blackscales]

+1

[reparo]

eta: con - a travel-based event where we get to interract with prospective players and bring them up to speed on what we did and did not set on fire sounds like a great idea tbh

+1

[silverneedles]

+1

[balancedwire]

+1

[somebadnews]

+1

[incantates]

+1

[arsmechanica]

As a newbie whose head is spinning from trying to catch up on lore, this feels like the kinder option!

+1

[northerndragon]

I like this idea better. Putting TDMers into the thick of events in a mod log, especially a heavy finale, can make it awkward if they aren’t around later (if significant stuff happens with them). Putting them in a travel log makes encountering them briefly make more sense to me! It’s also maybe a less fraught atmosphere than an arc finale.

+1

[techmaturgy]

+1

[chosenbylight]

+1

[rumorate]

[groundrules]

.......sorry, I just have to physically get up and salute this icon.

[rumorate]

Fair, it's what you do when someone is that impossibly pretty.

+1

[weifinder]

+1

[valeas]

+1

[inferus]

i joined during one of these types of tdms, and it was awesome. imo, it's the best way to integrate new characters seamlessly

TDMERS COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM MAIN GROUP PLOT

[groundrules]

Hold the TDM event in late May, but as a plotline exclusive to TDMers, leaving them little (or no) overlap with the existing crew until they formally join.

PROS: TDMers can do their own thing and operate independently without any plot strain.

CONS: TDMers would be largely isolated from the existing crew and have to tag each other. Given that eastbound isn't a publicly advertised game, and the general flow of TDMers is small, this might discourage TDMers if they get little play. Doubling of mod work, meaning potential lags on arranging the travel Arc — though this can be minimised, with enough advance notice.