Idea Post!

[livebait]

Hello Aather! In the interests of making Aather the best game it can be, we'd like to toss around some potential ideas for what you'd really like to see in the near future!

Since the game has been running incredibly strong for over 3.5 years now (///), we want to make sure we're keeping things bright and engaging, while still staying true to the game as it is and what's made it what it is.

We've had more open slots recently largely due to a lot of characters moving to Happy End or Legacy after being played for several years, and game turnout is a little lower lately (probably also because some of us have been doing this game thing for longer than we've lived in any one place in real life, I don't know about you); and we've also dropped down to a bit of a quieter pace that's a better fit for the playerbase at the moment—but some of these are fairly big changes functionally! so we want to make sure we can continue adjusting and growing the game to fit that.

The mods have some ideas for things we want to do in the future (and I'll make note of some of them in this post!), but we'd also like to hear:

❥ Game or event ideas you'd like to see! Games that we ran two years ago you really liked, or just "a secrets game" or "a costume game" or anything like that. Things we haven't done in a while you wanna see again, or things we've never done that you have a good idea for.
❥ Plot hooks or directions you'd like to go in. "I want to find out more about why there's always a tree in the Ring" or "I want more helping Personae break roles" etc.
❥ Elements that would help you or your characters be more engaged!
❥ Other things that would be cool—quests? Abilities? Themes? Laser beams for Burupya?

At least for this post, we would really just like to hear ideas and suggestions—nothing will be definitely going to happen and someone might have an idea that you don't think would work for you, but that's okay! We are also not looking at making any changes to activity/game structure & functions at the moment—just gameplay, please!

For now—please help us with suggestions about what you'd like to see and we will do our best to make some things happen! If you have multiple ideas, please feel free to leave them as separate comments if they're about fully different things.

Thank you as always for being such a stellar playerbase, and please do always feel free to come to the mods in private if you have questions or concerns or suggestions or pictures of kitten paws.

Comments

[yourewaitingforagate]

I HAVE NOT READ THINGS SO I AM SORRY IF THIS HAS BEEN MENTIONED.

But I would like to see more Relay-type plot events! ie: Smaller groups, contained to shorter time slots, that contribute to larger plot motions in a sort of rube golberg machine type way.

I know we've done some of this before, but in general for me I find that plot events have become really unwieldy as a player and for the runners as well. Basically, I'd much rather be put in a group of three-five people for a 1 hour intensively run thing that gets me somewhere and then get to sit back and watch three-five other people do something that's linked to that 1 hour thing instead of sitting in a group of 6-10 people for 2 hours doing an event that is both things combined.

I feel like smaller groups is a lot better for people to really feel like their characters are involved in the plot, and shorter time slots makes it easier for everyone who is very busy adults? Also if the time slots are shorter, it can be easier for the mods to tap out between groups. Especially if it's done in a sort of co-op feel where it's like Team A needs to hit the lever so the bridge is lowered for Team B to cross the river and then open the gate for Team C to storm the armory and do a supply drop for Team D to fight the dragon.

Each contribution itself is smaller, and there could be multiple threads going at once, but players and characters would get to feel they have more of an impact, and of course it can all get tied together at the end for epic massive boss fights or what have you. Essentially, I'd like to see plot events run more like games where each "round" is handed off to a different small group that effectively turns in their results and then sits out until the end.

[glorious]

I really like this idea and would like to +1 it!

[simple_not_boring]

As an event runner I endorse this post. And I think it would also help tailor the challenges a bit, so that each character feels like they contributed.

[soldieronwards]

This sounds like a really good game plan. I definitely prefer to run shorter things than the old standard of "five to six hours," and groups are often smaller these days anyway, so...

[yourewaitingforagate]

ALSO TO EXPAND ON THIS. Different groups could be divvied into different types of tasks.

Ie: Group A is exploradora, you have to find your way from point 1 to point 2
Group B is AN ANAGRAM/PUZZLE, figure it out to unlock a treasure chest
Group C FIGHTS MONSTERS
Group D interacts with an NPC?! must convince the NPC to do xyz thing

This would give players more opportunity to opt in to whatever group best suits their play style and character abilities.

[idkmybffnirvash]

yes ok