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abraxasooc2024-11-01 12:22 pm
abraxasmods) wrote in abraxasooc2024-11-01 12:22 pm
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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
Important Announcement
Hello Abraxans!
We have an important announcement regarding Abraxas and the game as we move forward into the new year.
Not to worry - we won't be leaving you in the lurch or ushering things to a close abruptly. We'll be doing it over a period of 6 months, starting in December and with the formal conclusion in June.
We'll also be taking a final game survey in this post to help us make sure you all have the best experience possible as we reach the end of your journey.
We're immensely grateful for the unmatched dedication and love you have each shown this game. Whether you arrived four years ago or just last month, your contribution has been invaluable to our experience as mods. We've had a fantastic time bringing events and plots to you, and while we know not everything we do is perfect, we appreciate your patience, feedback, and enthusiasm throughout the years.
We gave this a lot of thought and have decided that the conclusion is best told now to avoid the tension and conflict we've introduced into the narrative from faltering. Although we're sad to say goodbye, our goal is to end the game on a high note with full mod engagement alongside our playerbase. We'll try our hardest to deliver that for you right up to the end.
Thank you everyone for being here with us!
Read ahead to see our tentative OOC schedule, previews of upcoming events, and any changes that'll be made to applications, Activity Checks, and other key details.
Jump to section
Tentative Schedule
The schedule below is to give you a rough idea of what will be upcoming. You can see the Calendar for specific dates. Since our final application round will be in December, events will be starting earlier in the month beginning February to give players extra time to plot and thread.
Some items that may arise as we head into end game will be:
◎ NOVEMBER: Final TDM and reserves.
◎ DECEMBER: Final application round, newsletter, and Conclave.
◎ JANUARY: Prelude to Act I of end-game. No Quests from hereon.
◎ FEBRUARY: Act I of end-game.
◎ MARCH: Interlude
◎ APRIL: Act II of end-game, Part One
◎ MAY: Act II of end-game, Part Two
◎ JUNE: Final wrap and conclusion
Some items that may arise as we head into end game will be:
◎ An opportunity to briefly reside in one of the three minor territories available
◎ A breakdown of borders between the major territories
◎ A chance for characters to glimpse their home worlds
Activity Check & Plot Engagement
◎ CHECK-IN AC ONLY: Beginning in December, Activity Check will be Check-In Only. You will still be required to reply to the post so that we know you're here, but you will not need to submit threads or links. We hope this will allow you to focus on threading out what's most important to you for end game as opposed to worrying about comments and links!
◎ AC REWARDS: We will not be formally processing any more AC Rewards but if you'd like anything from the AC Reward list, just contact us any time with a request. Depending on what it is, we will likely grant it to you or offer you a method of obtaining it unrelated to gathering threads and links.
◎ PLOT ENGAGEMENT: While Plot Engagement will not formally close, beginning in DECEMBER, we will no longer be accepting long-term and highly personalized goals. Instead, we'll ask that any Plot Engagement submitted either 1) has a clear purpose related to the game's conclusion or your character's final journey; or 2) is a short-term request that requires minimal mod involvement.
◎ AC REWARDS: We will not be formally processing any more AC Rewards but if you'd like anything from the AC Reward list, just contact us any time with a request. Depending on what it is, we will likely grant it to you or offer you a method of obtaining it unrelated to gathering threads and links.
◎ PLOT ENGAGEMENT: While Plot Engagement will not formally close, beginning in DECEMBER, we will no longer be accepting long-term and highly personalized goals. Instead, we'll ask that any Plot Engagement submitted either 1) has a clear purpose related to the game's conclusion or your character's final journey; or 2) is a short-term request that requires minimal mod involvement.
Changes to Restrictions
◎ CAST CAPS: For our final application round, we will be removing cast caps. While the overall player cap will remain in place, we will be lifting any and all caps on canons and casts. This includes franchises and individual series. In other words, players may app into any cast they like regardless of how many characters are currently in the cast.
◎ RETURNING PLAYERS: To avoid overextending ourselves, we will not be accepting previous players (who are not currently in-game) back into the game solely for the conclusion. Any players, old or new, will need to apply in December as usual through the standard application round. Since our goal is to continue tailoring things as much as possible for all players, we want to make sure we have the energy to do so leading up into end game rather than stretching the team too thin.
◎ RETURNING CHARACTERS: We will be allowing the return of any characters previously played by a current player. This will occur as a result of a specific event and will be announced as part of the OOC Plotting Post for that event. Players may do so even if they have reached three characters. Players who have hit the standard 2-character cap may also do this without putting in a formal request for additional characters.
◎ RETURNING PLAYERS: To avoid overextending ourselves, we will not be accepting previous players (who are not currently in-game) back into the game solely for the conclusion. Any players, old or new, will need to apply in December as usual through the standard application round. Since our goal is to continue tailoring things as much as possible for all players, we want to make sure we have the energy to do so leading up into end game rather than stretching the team too thin.
◎ RETURNING CHARACTERS: We will be allowing the return of any characters previously played by a current player. This will occur as a result of a specific event and will be announced as part of the OOC Plotting Post for that event. Players may do so even if they have reached three characters. Players who have hit the standard 2-character cap may also do this without putting in a formal request for additional characters.
End Game Survey
Last year, we collected some thoughts from you about plot themes and events you're interested in. We've decided to do something similar regarding end-game.
We encourage you to fill out the form as the mod team will take this into account when planning the remaining six months. While we have a good idea of what we'd like to do in terms of the narrative and certain game mechanics, your answers will help us shape how those events proceed and what aspects to keep in mind.
Don't worry about repeating what others have said. In fact, it's actually important for us to hear from multiple people about the same topic. Therefore, if you have similar thoughts as someone else, please put it down in your answers, too, to let us know that you feel the same way.
We encourage you to fill out the form as the mod team will take this into account when planning the remaining six months. While we have a good idea of what we'd like to do in terms of the narrative and certain game mechanics, your answers will help us shape how those events proceed and what aspects to keep in mind.
Don't worry about repeating what others have said. In fact, it's actually important for us to hear from multiple people about the same topic. Therefore, if you have similar thoughts as someone else, please put it down in your answers, too, to let us know that you feel the same way.
End Game Survey Form
Fill out the form below and reply to this post. All sections are optional. If you don't have anything to contribute for a section but want to fill out the other parts, you can leave that section blank.
Questions & Comments
For any questions or remarks, please leave them on the Questions & Comments thread below!
Questions & Comments
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PLAYER NAME: Jay
CHARACTERS PLAYED: Kyle, Nanaue, Astarion (he'll be sent home this month!)
TERRITORIES: Thorne, Solvunn, Free Cities
KEY EVENTS FOR YOUR CHARACTER: I can't remember exact names/numbers BUT
➛ Kyle: Libertas gets bombed, the Pit Kidnapping double event, GOD AU, Thorne Coup, sry this is more than 2 I CAN'T DECIDE
➛ Nanaue: God AU because he is a parent now
NOTABLE NPCS FOR YOU OR YOUR CHARACTER: I liked the Draconae folks! King Brydan was important for Kyle to cling to as a figurehead for a while, thank you for assisting with that! And obviously ZEEEEMER
CHARACTER JOURNEY:
➛ Kyle: I FLY BY THE SEAT OF MY PANTS so I have no idea how I want his arc to end yet, but I'm excited for some hard decisions. The main points of his arc have all been about: personhood and selfish decisions versus faith/duty, trying to reconcile those things, figuring out where he's meant to be (EDIT: and god au stuff! the conflict between accepting this fate of being trapped in abraxas eternally and losing pieces of his memory again because what if that's what's necessary for everything to survive versus rejecting all that - whether by deciding this isn't god's fate for him or deciding on his own that he won't just accept this)
➛ Nanaue: I would like him to reach rank 10, officially ascend to godhood and co-parent Baby with ZEEMER tyvm
GAME DISRUPTIONS: Yes to major upheaval. My selfish want is for Kyle to use his abilities more freely as borders vanish!!
ANYTHING ELSE: ❤️ Thank you for everything! I'm another person who returned to DWRP after a break and was not expecting to find my home game for 2+ years now. Really appreciate all the work you guys have done and your willingness to work with potentially game breaking powers and also illiterate mansharks.
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PLAYER NAME: Dee
CHARACTERS PLAYED: Istredd, Jesper Fahey, Julia Wicker
TERRITORIES: All three, baby
KEY EVENTS FOR YOUR CHARACTER:
Istredd: Invocation, The Nether, God AU
Jesper: the first three gods thing, Invocation, Feywilds, God AU
Julia: The Nether, the God AU, the most recent dreams/nightmares
NOTABLE NPCS FOR YOU OR YOUR CHARACTER: I did always have fun with Ambrose and the Nether NPCs. Lyle for Thorne has been a big one.
CHARACTER JOURNEY:
Istredd just wants to be free from Thorne and maybe learn more about the world and also learn more about the Singularity and its connection to other universes. Jesper wants to get free from the Free Cities and get all his loved ones free of their other locations too. If he could get revenge on certain people he probably would do that too lol. Julia wants to learn more god stuff and she does want to find out if there's a way for people to avoid becoming gods as she knows it's a point of struggle for her friends.
This is for all of them: Fighting for this world and each other and bonding more with their CR, maybe a bittersweet ending where they can leave this world or stay or get some kind of resolution to their journey wherever it lies. I do think a solid ending of some kind on that front, choices that are made to complete it. Maybe not an all-or-nothing choice though (everyone stays or everyone goes, people have to vote) because it can stir up negative cr at the very end that might not be fun for everyone. But I'm good with anything.
GAME DISRUPTIONS: Major upheaval is totally good with me! I imagine it only can be with all the political drama and supernatural drama that has come up to this point. I am VERY EXCITED by mentioning leaving the factions or losing territory restrictions for my characters, because I'd love everyone to be together for whatever is coming up.
ANYTHING ELSE: I want to just thank everyone in this game for making it one of the best experiences of my RP life. We've come so far and I'm very proud of what I've done in game so far.
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PLAYER NAME: Sra
CHARACTERS PLAYED: Cid Telamon
TERRITORIES: Free Cities
KEY EVENTS FOR YOUR CHARACTER: I know it's the one I came in on but the god AU was phenomenal and ended up informing a lot of his CR going forward. The bunker was also really impactful in that it gave him first-hand exposure to Heartwood and bioweapons in general.
NOTABLE NPCS FOR YOU OR YOUR CHARACTER: I didn't end up having him interact with any NPCs but he did end up discussing the coup situation and such with other characters.
CHARACTER JOURNEY: Cid wants a world where people all get a chance to live on their own terms without being ruled over by gods or monarchs or the poor circumstances of their birth, and I'd love to give him the chance to push toward something in that general vein, or at least let him help to find a way to ensure that the Summoned can defy turning into gods (if that's possible idk).
Basically, I'd like for him to either fuck around and try to stop some god stuff, or just tangibly help people, whatever makes sense. A part of his work on an alternate energy source/electricity was just wanting to allow people to have options outside of like, begging the gods, if magic becomes more unstable.
My most deeply indulgent desire would be having reason for him to use his powers long enough/to such a degree that the curse spreads too far and he can't go back home without dying again. I'd be happy with letting him stay in Abraxas to keep working on a better future for the people there, but I'd like the bittersweet ending of never being able to go home (for him) (I think everyone should get a choice oocly).
GAME DISRUPTIONS: Yes, I love chaos +_+ I would personally love to be able to have more cross-faction interaction for events in particular, in terms of restrictions being lifted.
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PLAYER NAME: Dia
CHARACTERS PLAYED: Alucard
TERRITORIES: Free Cities
KEY EVENTS FOR YOUR CHARACTER:Libertas getting bombed, kidnapping event, Gods AU full stop
NOTABLE NPCS FOR YOU OR YOUR CHARACTER:
- Quilleth!! She was always a delight and I loved being able to see the other governing personalities in the Free Cities.
- Sten has somehow become my favorite of the NPCs and I appreciate him a lot.
CHARACTER JOURNEY: Alucard has been surprised to be overall happy with how he has developed and come to terms with parts of his life and managed to put down roots in Abraxas in a way he simply can't do at home. However, this is the man who in his video game canon gets to do a patricide every 100 years thereabouts, so I'm happy to return to forcing him to make some very tough choices. Things I'm interested in exploring with Al's end game:
- Addressing the god stuff, especially if it is inevitable or not. He'd be happy to make choices about that.
- Finding a way to end the singularity situation once and for all so that any more fights are not about a goddamn rock.
- Ways to unite both sides of Nocwich, although that's a pipe dream.
Ultimately though, I just want to see what the twists and turns are to get to the end, as I've always been consistently surprised and appreciative of how the narrative has been steered.
GAME DISRUPTIONS: All for it. I'd love for more cross-faction interaction, but I am also very interested to see if any more divine NPCs choose to get involve.
ANYTHING ELSE: please tell me what is up with Elizabeth and Oliver even if it doesn't matter a lick in game I just want to know their backstory...............
also if we can possibly pop into Endsmuth and Tornis before everything ends, that'd be neat.
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PLAYER NAME: kelsey
CHARACTERS PLAYED: vash the stampede
TERRITORIES: free cities, previously solvunn
KEY EVENTS FOR YOUR CHARACTER: the current dream event, the war event, and the event that forced everyone into shelters.
NOTABLE NPCS FOR YOU OR YOUR CHARACTER: the singularity herself! though vash had no direct threads with the singularity, being given a vision by it via the rift event was awesome. it felt really special. ❤️
CHARACTER JOURNEY: vash's canon ending is so bittersweet that i think i would enjoy something similar, but a little more on the sweet side. HE'S JUST BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH OKAY?? he'll want to deepen his bonds with current and new CR, have some kinda romantic culmination with wolfwood (like anyone is surprised), and try to leave abraxas better than he found it. this world means something to him, and ensuring that the people who live in it get to live their lives to the fullest is important.
GAME DISRUPTIONS: i'm totally okay with huge upheaval! i'm kinda hoping that vash can actually get access to a firearm (which he is not going to use unless completely necessary, it's really so silly that i am staunchly anti-gun and yet i'm rping a gunslinger) and maybe a stronger attunement with his canon powers.
ANYTHING ELSE: abraxas was my first game in a very long time, and though i had to drop out the first time, i'm thrilled that i got accepted again because even though 2024 threw me hardball after hardball i really do love rping in this setting. i met some incredible people here that i hope to be lifelong friends with. i know that likely the mods are all done with running games after putting so much effort into something this involved, but if y'all ever get together to start something new i hope you'll reach out to us abraxas players to let us know. ❤️ thank you so much for your tireless work.
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PLAYER NAME: Min
CHARACTERS PLAYED: Daemon Targaryen
TERRITORIES: Free Cities
CHARACTER JOURNEY: SO LOL I just got here, but I think it would be pretty cool (and very on brand) for Daemon to get involved in whatever chaos comes to pass. I hadn't had a specific arc for him in mind when I apped, but going into endgame, I think focusing on Daemon's desire to go home more than anything else makes more sense. He hasn't been around long enough to form any attachment to this world or the people in it (and in fact, he's heard some things that just make him angry...), and he knows that it might not be impossible to get home with enough magic power, which is good enough for him to try and figure out what it might take to make that happen.
I would love opportunities to make hard or controversial choices! Daemon is selfish and ambitious, so if there are bad choices to be made, he's good for that! I don't need his ending to be a happy one if I have the chance to make it a dramatic one instead lol
GAME DISRUPTIONS: I would love all the setting upheaval you're willing to throw at us!
ANYTHING ELSE: I'm sure you've already given it thought since there is another round of apps ahead, but I think my biggest concern is having enough opportunities within the timeframe to feel like we can contribute something as a newer player/character. I don't expect to pack what everyone has built in the entirety of the game into six months, but it would be neat if there were paths/hooks/plot engagements available going into endgame with that in mind to sort of streamline being able to get into the "meat" of things.
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PLAYER NAME: Kath
CHARACTERS PLAYED: Wilhelm
TERRITORIES: Thorne
KEY EVENTS FOR YOUR CHARACTER: The firebombing of Libertas and the Free Cities' retaliation against Nott; the Pit (tm); the coup.
NOTABLE NPCS FOR YOU OR YOUR CHARACTER: Wille talked to him literally once, but Lyle Vela is a cool guy.
He may be dead, but an honorable mention goes to Grigory Jannus, who received the most mentions in my tags because Wilhelm felt so damn guilty about the whole organ exploding thing.CHARACTER JOURNEY: Wille has grown up in Abraxas; he considers it his home now. I would love for him to have the choice to stay in this world for good. As we head into endgame, I want him to have the opportunity to use his powers to help people, and my biggest wish is to put him in a scenario where he has to kill to protect a loved one. :')
GAME DISRUPTIONS: I'm groovy with upheaval and disruptions. More opportunities for cross-territory interactions would be wonderful, especially outside of Nocwich.
ANYTHING ELSE: Thank you, mod team, for all the work and love you've poured into this game! It's such a special place, and it will be missed dearly when it's over. <3
no subject
PLAYER NAME: Hannah (2)
CHARACTERS PLAYED: Eddie Munson
TERRITORIES: Solvunn
KEY EVENTS FOR YOUR CHARACTER: God AU was the big one, but the recent one with Zorne really pushed him into “I’m growing very disenchanted with this place and its gods” territory, and that big event with Josselyn was also enormous for probably everyone at the time, especially in Solvunn.
CHARACTER JOURNEY: If you’ll allow me to ramble a bit, maybe I can get to the point.
Most of the time, I rp based on vibes and I did not come into the game with anything specific in mind for the trajectory of Eddie’s character. There’s never been any real big arc for him. He’s already very confident and accepting of who he is, so he really hasn’t changed all that much, nor was he ever going to. He mostly just needed to distance himself enough from his death and home to chill out a bit and return to his default level of anxiety, and he got to that point.
But I’d still like a couple things for his endgame. He’s managed to settle very well into Abraxas, enough that he could easily make it is home if need be, but he has always been concerned when it comes to the topic of going home. Now, I don’t know if endgame will even involve the opportunity to go home at all, in which case you’re free to ignore this, but it’s where the bulk of his anxieties have been for a long time. He’s dead back home, and he really doesn’t think the opportunity has or will ever been available to him. But he sort of wants it to be? Because he still has loved ones back home, and because he’s grown very attached to Steve Harrington but would never try to stop him from returning home where he really belongs. It is currently his biggest fear and I’d like to aim for some resolution to it, however that may present itself! I joked on plurk that it would be funny if in the end, someone was like “Dorothy, you have always had the power to go back to Kansas” and he just loses his absolute shit because he’s been agonizing over it for years, and that's fine! But considering how his death back home has colored most of his time here, I wouldn't mind something a little more substantial. Like if he has to earn it or strike a deal with someone, or magic comes into play, etc. A little tragedy never hurt anyone. BUT I do understand he's not the only dead-at-home character here and however this works out, if the opportunity to go home as something more than a corpse (emphasis on this) becomes available to him, then he can decide if he wants to take it.
Also I would love the opportunity for him to do something really heroic and badass (and not die doing it this time) but I’m sure this one could easily present itself at any point.
GAME DISRUPTIONS: Totally okay with a huge upheaval. It would make complete sense for things to finally come to a head. I have nothing specific I’d like to see right now, but more cross-faction stuff is always good!
ANYTHING ELSE: Like a lot of people, Abraxas was my first game after a long break. I apped here relatively quickly and almost on a whim along with a castmate, and it’s become one of the best experiences I’ve ever had in RP. Everyone’s been welcoming and lovely, and the work the mods put in has been incredible and honestly kind of staggering—I mean, the fact that the plot engagement page exists alone is amazing. I love this game, I love its players, and I love the experiences that have been offered in it despite not making use of all of them. Thank you to the mods, and I’m looking forward to these last few months with all of you!
(Also please let Nanaue and ZEEMER end up together amen)
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PLAYER NAME: Jade.
CHARACTERS PLAYED: Zoya Nazyalensky.
TERRITORIES: The best territory ever: Thorne.
KEY EVENTS FOR YOUR CHARACTER: I'd say the coup, because what a thing to toss Zoya into when she first arrived! I really enjoyed her getting her hands wet with the lighthouse business, and helping Nikolai, Jon, and Kyle take down a leviathan while on a boat. The latest memory share event has been unexpectedly amazing, as I've gotten to play in some scenarios and dabble in some Zoya lore that I haven't had the chance to explore!
CHARACTER JOURNEY: I apped with the hopes of getting Zoya involved in the political landscape and developing her confidence in her political savviness, because she looks at herself as only a soldier and not a politician. She becomes queen later in her book arc, so I wanted to kind of make her becoming queen feel earned in a different way than what it is in the books.
I definitely would love her to get the chance to make hard decisions and make vital controversial decisions! Despite having a bit of a soft heart beneath her prickly exterior, Zoya isn't afraid to make the difficult decisions others who may be ruled by their conscience would hesitate to make. I want to tap into her ambitiousness and a little bit of her trauma wrt feeling like she could've done more to save her friends/country and applying that with Abraxas and up her intensity/need to keep the people in her territory safe.
I also just want her to turn into a dragon. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
tbh my endgame goal for Zoya is for her to have some more friends and know that she doesn't have to go at things alone. How we get there remains a fun mystery to unravel.
GAME DISRUPTIONS: Bring it on! Let's get our hands dirty with some major upheaval! I'd love cross-territory interactions since I've found it a little difficult to figure out how to get Zoya interacting with other factions, and I'd like for her to hear about their beliefs/propaganda etc. and be challenged by those differing beliefs.
ANYTHING ELSE:
I remember being on the game's first TDM, although I never apped because the timing just wasn't right offline. I'm glad to be able to join in on its endgame and play with a few people that I've known for years, and meet some new players who feel like old friends. Thanks for running the game, and I've appreciated how the mods have been so open to working with potential ideas. The lighthouse thing was something I was excited to get the go-ahead to do with Zoya.
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PLAYER NAME: Lisa
CHARACTERS PLAYED: Jonathan Crane
TERRITORIES: Free Cities
KEY EVENTS FOR YOUR CHARACTER: The God AU had the biggest impact on Crane and his direction and development.
NOTABLE NPCS FOR YOU OR YOUR CHARACTER: Crane fondly remembers interacting with Nikodaemus and found their exchange interesting. Their thread was memorable and the outcome impacted his development.
CHARACTER JOURNEY: I would like Crane to return to being his AU self. Or at least learn becoming him is unavoidable. I consider it a neutral ending with bad overtones. Jesper told Crane in a recent thread that he could share his heart with and trust people and find power in his relationships. That he develops relationships during the AU suggest this happens. But at the same time he withdraws from society and becomes a recluse who experiments on people without their consent, leading to others to morally oppose. So he grows in some ways, stagnates in others.
Leading up to this, I would like Crane to become more influential within the Free Cities if possible! His ideas and practises, treatments and opinions, could become more mainstream and his influence could rise. Plus he can willingly help them develop psychological operations to use against Thorne and others? Plus what about biological weapons? BECAUSE I KEEP IMAGINING what would happen if he gassed Thorne with toxin? But that is more a joke for his bucket list.
In short, I want this ending for Crane because it fits his current trajectory in game. He has been worrying about who he becomes because the experience was outside his control. He has issues already with an alternate persona he keeps hidden and the recent event resulted in him dreaming about his future self. So it will be interesting to see his development progress as he keeps control in the present.
GAME DISRUPTIONS: Absolutely! Crane can start doing what he does in the future by disappearing people admist the chaos. Plus if he had to choose between people in the present and the power and freedom he has in the future? Well, that would be an interesting choice for him to make and for me to thread.
ANYTHING ELSE: Please let Crane and Nikodaemus tag team on making everyone's lives worse one day. Pit 2.0: Spooky Boogaloo. I'd love it so much.
no subject
PLAYER NAME: Court
CHARACTERS PLAYED: Thancred Waters, Steve Rogers, Tifa Lockhart
TERRITORIES: Thorne, Free Cities, Solvunn (gotta love a hat trick)
KEY EVENTS FOR YOUR CHARACTER:
◎ Thancred: Kidnapping event, God AU, Overthrow event where he fled the castle,
◎ Steve: Kidnapping event, Anomalies (specifically fighting the Thunderjaw), God AU
◎ Tifa: Overthrow (when everyone was in the bunkers), this most recent event for the haunting effects — she hasn't been here long, so all of them since she's arrived have affected her!
NOTABLE NPCS FOR YOU OR YOUR CHARACTER: Thancred's probably done the most NPC interaction, so Lyle and Jolene are the big ones for him. I'm also eager to know what's going on with Ambrose, even if he wasn't as directly involved with him.
CHARACTER JOURNEY:
◎ Thancred: The things that Thancred has been focused on are 1) finding a way to return home with Himeka, with their memories of their time in Abraxas intact (and I know that you gave me some plot threads on this — I'll try to circle back to that soon!) and 2) to ensure that those who want to stay in Abraxas get to stay, and that those people don't have to be tied to the fate of becoming a god if they don't want to. Basically, that everyone gets to choose what they want for themselves! I realize this is a lot and would be a kind of perfect "good" ending and that it might not be that simple or easy based on how things play out, but it's what he's personally been working toward. As a player, I'm totally fine with bittersweet endings where not everything is wrapped up easily or nicely as well! But getting back home so he can get back to his daughter is priority #1. He'll feel better knowing that the Summoned who are left behind will have their own agency and place within Abraxas, that they have a future that isn't already determined for them. I also think he'd want to find some sort of closure re: the Singularity to ensure that war doesn't just continue endlessly. He hasn't forgotten that it's apparently linked to all of their home worlds.
Also, given his skillset being all around espionage and subterfuge, I'd love to play with that more, especially as borders might come down, etc.! I'm always looking for ways for him to Get Up to Stuff.
◎ Steve: I think that forcing Steve to be involved in the oncoming war and the clashes between factions would be interesting, given his personal connection to war and his background as a soldier. He's tried to avoid taking sides and made a point of trying to run damage control and limit how many lives are lost, with varying results. But having him to some degree on the front lines, even if he wouldn't actually enlist, would be interesting. I'm also totally down for his whole thing with attacking the military base to come back and bite him in other ways beyond the prison sentence that he already served out.
Steve has been pretty torn re: going or staying. He's always felt that he would need to return home, but he has extremely mixed feelings regarding his supposed future back home (because of my issues with the Endgame ending, for full transparency). So while he believes he's going to need to get him and the Avengers back home somehow since most of them have unfinished business too, he's pretty shaky on his own place/role in that, so I could see that leading to some pretty bitterswift/conflicted decisions in terms of his ending. I'm willing to play all that by ear depending! He's also very intent on Not Becoming a God if he is forced to remain in Abraxas, so that's something else I think would be interesting to explore! And of course, securing the Singularity / trying to prevent future conflict and war in Abraxas.
◎ Tifa: Since Tifa is still relatively new and has been busy adjusting to her castmates coming in, I haven't had a whole lot of time to get her involved in the overall plot threads of the game. She's curious about the gods and how much Solvunn should be relying on them (e.g. maybe they're relying too much), but she doesn't know what to do about the war or how much to get involved. That being said, she is both a nurturing and action-oriented person, and she doesn't think the people of Solvunn are bad people at all, so she'll be trying to assure their safety as best she can — along with that of her fellow Summoned and castmates.
She has a lot of unfinished business back home, so she's also going to want to find a way to get herself, Cloud, and Yuffie back there. But she would also like to help leave Abraxas in a better state than how she found it, if that's at all possible.
GAME DISRUPTIONS: Given how excited I was for the coup and the plot that you gave me and a few others around that, I am all for big disruptions and upheavals if they make sense for the plot! I love to roll with the punches and have crazy things happen. Since we're going into endgame, it feels appropriate, and I'm quite curious about the potential of borders going down or being more easily traversable, and areas like the Nether opening up more.
ANYTHING ELSE: I'm going to +1 Dia here and say that even a throwaway comment to explain Oliver and Elizabeth would be cool, and that I'd love to see Endsmuth and Tornis featured in some form (even if it's not possible to visit the locations in full) just for completion's sake / because I'm curious!
Also, while I didn't mention the Epulum event, I did think it was a very fun format for an event and had a great time with it gameplay-wise! It just didn't have as much direct impact on my characters' journeys in Abraxas, but I wanted to give it a shout out.
no subject
PLAYER NAME: Mart
CHARACTERS PLAYED: Cloud Strife
TERRITORIES: Solvunn
CHARACTER JOURNEY: Still relatively new so Cloud's barely gotten much done as he's still settling into things. My original plan was for him to be able to gain a bit more self-worth and a better sense of his identity, as he's currently in the middle of one from the canon point he's been taken from. I'm hoping that I will still have a chance to do something like that for him, whether it be from the people he meets in his time here or from the events that come, even if it's just the stepping stones towards that goal. Of course, he will get more involved in the plot, wherever it may go, and maybe that will also help him gain some insight on who he is before everything is done and over with, and he heads back home to deal with everything else happening there, together with Tifa and Yuffie.
I would absolutely be down with him having to make hard decisions as well. Cloud wants to do what is right but with how he's currently doubting himself, it would be interesting to see how he might respond when put on the spot.
GAME DISRUPTIONS: I'm all for the game getting a major upheaval, especially if it gives us more chances to interact and experience other territories, as well as spaces unknown in the world.
ANYTHING ELSE: I want to echo Min and Jade for those who may be new or are still relatively new, myself included. I'm also hoping that there is a way that the newer characters will be able to contribute to the plot in a meaningful way, despite the short time period that they've been around. Anything to give them a little bit of a push in that direction would be much appreciated.
Thank you too, mods, for giving everyone ample heads up on your timeline going into endgame. I personally appreciate it, even if it means less time than I originally envisioned to play in the setting. It definitely helps me make informed decisions on where to go from here and I'm grateful for that.
no subject
PLAYER NAME: Mica
CHARACTERS PLAYED: Commander Jane Shepard
TERRITORIES: Free Cities
KEY EVENTS FOR YOUR CHARACTER:
NOTABLE NPCS FOR YOU OR YOUR CHARACTER: Marno and Mag are probably the two most important Named NPCs for Shepard, personally. The former because she is the leadership in the faction Shepard has hitched her boat to, moreso than most Summoned, and Mag because she's an NPC that, like most Summoned based around Cadens, she sees and interacts with as a customer quite often. She has almost definitely had a lot of interactions with various military personages in and around the army base at Cadens, but I didn't spend the time to flesh them out or put them on the player-made NPC roster. It feels like it might be too late for that?
CHARACTER JOURNEY: I think it would be interesting for Shepard to be part of any conflict that takes place between the factions, and to have to balance following orders and acting as a loyal soldier of the Free Cities with not necessarily wanting to hurt or antagonize other Summoned. She's made hard choices quite often in canon, and that kind of plot crux is part of what makes writing her fun, for me at least.
I also have long had a fond idea that she could act in some kind of leadership with other Summoned— if any are inclined to be lead, at least... or assigned to be lead by the NPCs/circumstances/Powers That Be? Maybe, if the plot gets chaotic and dangerous, that could help find a place for newer characters who're less established, if any are the fighting sort? I think that'd be pretty nifty, I'd be up for that.
As an addendum:
As we start to dip our toes into endgame, I'm planning to very soon canon-update Shepard to the end of Mass Effect 3. As things stand now, she carries an duty to get home and prosecute the Reaper War, no matter what, but a canon-update would give her a different perspective; with nothing but dying to go back for, she would be fully committed to Abraxas. I feel like there's a chance that there might at some point come a magical portal or something similar where characters can somehow go home, and if I don't give her a very serious reason to refuse, then there's no argument that she wouldn't instantaneously take the out.
GAME DISRUPTIONS: I'd love some disruption, truly! The potential for direct conflict between factions and the moral quandries that come with clashing against other players was part of what drew me to this game in the first place. In some ways, it seems kind of funny that it's taken this long for things to get crazy!
I think the biggest restriction that I'd like to see loosened a little more is the geographical divisions between faction populations. A more chaotic atmosphere with characters able to sneak across borders and into places they shouldn't be would allow for the endgame to feature a larger and more varied CR pool for everybody.
ANYTHING ELSE: I'm really excited to play this out! I'm also grateful to have this much time to prepare— telling everyone as far ahead of time as you possibly could was a smart move, and one that takes off a lot of the pressure. As does having check-in-only AC! This game has been a lot of fun, and I'm really just so pleased to have gotten to be here all this time.
no subject
PLAYER NAME: faith
CHARACTERS PLAYED: river tam
TERRITORIES: thorne
KEY EVENTS FOR YOUR CHARACTER: the god AU and the coup!!
NOTABLE NPCS FOR YOU OR YOUR CHARACTER: umbvagher!! he's the only NPC river has really interacted with and their conversation had a very strong impact on her perspective of the summoned/the singularity/etc. also he's just a troll and i love him lol
CHARACTER JOURNEY: my goal for river has always been for her to grapple with her canon abilities and the ruined state of her mind by studying magic and seeking control. she's made some good progress on this, but the god AU was like a terrible bad end version of her gaining more power and losing control entirely, so now she's in this awkward place of feeling the most empowered she's ever been while also being batshit terrified of what might happen in the future.
i think her biggest conflict right now is whether or not they will ever get to go home. a part of her doesn't want to leave because of her CR and the fact that the academy ( allegedly ) can't reach her here. the other part of her can't live without simon. the decision to stay or go would be hardest choice for her to face.
ultimately idk where i want to end up with her! i love the idea of her moving in the direction of becoming an oracle a la her god AU, and while i think it'd be great for her to become more confident, i don't think i'd want to fully resolve or remove the damage to her psyche. i'm all for her not exactly having a 100% "happy" ending c:
GAME DISRUPTIONS: major upheaval is the beessst!! between the coup, the bombing of the castle, and the lighthouse devouring the navy, she's convinced that war is inevitable and none of the territories are "safe." i think continuing to shake up the setting like that is fantastic.
ANYTHING ELSE: same hat as everyone else that mentioned endsmuth and tornis, although i'm most interested in tornis bc we love a spooky lost society situation. if the feywilds came back into play that would be rad as hell since i wasn't here for that event. i also think it would be really cool if the arcanum can play a more important role in some way, it feels like a fun detail that hasn't been utilized beyond seeing the symbols in different places.
i've said it before but i'll say it again, i'm so immensely grateful for this game being my first step back into DWRP land in a really long time. i've only been here for a year and i'm bummed it's ending, but i am immensely impressed with how much thought and detail you've poured into the game. you've given so many fantastic ways to really personalize how you want to play ( eg. different territories, plot engagement, influence rank, etc. ) and i know that the bigger you make the sandbox, the harder it is to manage. i have never seen a game this complex run so smoothly without some kind of drama or disruption.
this is some next level ish if you feel me, and y'all have done it with such patience and kindness to let us run around doing all of our nonsense. thank you so much for everything you've done to make this one of the best RP experiences ever! ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡
no subject
PLAYER NAME: Whit
CHARACTERS PLAYED: Viktor (
TERRITORIES: Free Cities, Solvunn
KEY EVENTS FOR YOUR CHARACTER:
For Viktor: Bombing of Libertas, God AU, Hexcore plot and government stealing his stuff and bombing Thorne with it
For Aloy: Nocwich opening, The rifts (and the creatures that emerged from them), God AU
NOTABLE NPCS FOR YOU OR YOUR CHARACTER: Aloy mostly stayed away from the NPCs (outside of the werewolves in Nocwich), but Viktor had a working relationship with Aleksander Klingel which I imagine annoyed him very much. Playing out his general animosity with the Free Cities government—trying to balance his need to work and invent with the very real threat of Cadens weaponizing his technology—has also been very fulfilling.
Outside of my own characters, I really enjoyed Ambrose and Sten, and also hope maybe some of the Draconae NPCs can come back.
CHARACTER JOURNEY:
For Viktor: I’d like to circle back around to Viktor’s endeavors to untangle the Summoning ritual. This was understandably not necessarily a solvable problem pre-endgame (and still may not be), but he’s been invested in trying to find a way for the Summoned to choose whether to go or stay. He fully believes their presence in Abraxas is a destabilizing force, and that they either need to end their connection to the Singularity or leave Abraxas entirely. It's important to him that the Summoned can choose their own destinies! Viktor was all at once horrified and intrigued by his god self, and revisiting that is exciting to me given a potential s2 canon update: tl;dr Viktor merges with the Hexcore and achieves a sort of apotheosis not dissimilar to the God AU event. He gains access to what is effectively the astral plane, which I think ties in very well with his multiversal aspirations. He’s seen what’s possible! He’s never been closer to achieving his goal! Hopefully it doesn’t end badly!!!!
I would also like to reach some kind of conclusion on Viktor vs. the government—whether this means the culmination of his shielding technology, additional misuse, blowing up his own lab, etc. Who knows! This does feel like something I can tie a little bow on before the end of things, depending on how it shakes out.
For Aloy: I’d like her to take advantage of the shifting borders to push boundaries and venture further into the wilderness. The seeds of this were planted when she couldn’t get out to the Free Cities to deal with the Thunderjaw, and it’s something that’s stuck with her since. She’s more-or-less convinced herself to stick around Solvunn to protect it, but with her monster hunting group and efforts to train both fellow Summoned and civilians, might feel better about venturing forth. If there is some kind of endgame puzzle for her to solve, that would put her more in her element and into the space she occupies in her own games—solving big mysteries and making things happen despite the seeming impossibility of it.
For both, they’d likely go home/out into the universe if given the chance, but I’m definitely interested in something more open-ended if that’s how things go. Viktor’s multiversal aspirations especially might force him to make difficult choices or sacrifices that I would be interested in exploring.
GAME DISRUPTIONS: Totally okay with setting disruptions! I’m really looking forward to the possibility of characters perhaps being able to travel or otherwise, plus opening up of other territories. My only request is that Viktor has built up a lot of work and influence in the Free Cities, so I would probably like to keep at least some of that intact (or transferable to other places) if possible.
ANYTHING ELSE: THANKS FOR READING and thanks for a great run! I’m so excited to see how things come together.
late with knockoff starbucks
PLAYER NAME: Heather
CHARACTERS PLAYED: Lucifer, Travis Guidry
TERRITORIES: Thorne, Solvunn
KEY EVENTS FOR YOUR CHARACTER:
Lucifer: Affliction, Mediation, Invocation, Emergence
Travis: Tempest, Emergence
NOTABLE NPCS FOR YOU OR YOUR CHARACTER:
Lucifer: Aster, Mace, High Priestess Lady Cospraila, Umbvagher lolol.
Travis: Vagn
Me: I enjoyed the Queen and Lucifer saw a lot of himself in her actions for better or for worse. And plus +1 for the Rhett siblings.
CHARACTER JOURNEY:
Lucifer: "or make a vital but controversial decision" hi hello there
Lucifer's primary goal at this point is returning to something like the god AU because it means he's no longer chained to a vessel and he'd be returned to full power. His secondary goal is hoping all three primary territories just burn and sure he'd love to have a part in them making bad decisions towards their demise but hey he'll take whatever. And any of the other territories (Feywild, Nether, Nochwich, idk Endsmuth) take control then great, but ultimately they're all just little people and who holds power is always going to be short-term to him. He also still doesn't care if most others outside of the Thorne Summoned burn with them but he is awfully possessive to these broken people within these walls.
His justifications
if ever askedis that they were all Summoned as pawns so who cares about the natives, why not make them their pawns in return. They're nothing, we're divine.I'm not particularly gunning for any particular ending for him because writing him has always just gone with the flow of the narrative and as long as it makes sense to my brain, I'm here for the ride.
Travis: I've been really dragging the last few months but I need have to make an actual push for him towards Vagn. Primarily the only god he really has made offerings to as daily business since the beginning, given the state of himself in the world he left, he wants there to be some kind of meaning to his... everything. He's another one that can't return home and he's all for fostering community around Solvunn and just being a guy involved.
GAME DISRUPTIONS: Look I'm always going to vote for major upheaval that's just my schtick. Whether it be political or Singularity or both. Lucifer would be happy for the change in territory restrictions for sure but they have always been what have shockingly allowed character growth for me. I can't really think of anything that I personally need changed.
ANYTHING ELSE: looool I'm also curious towards Elizabeth and Oliver for all we know they're JUST SOME GUYS. Also the Maw. And the Gates to the Abyss. What's up with that, are they connected!! I spend too much time on the lore pages lol. I'm curious with the whole arcana syncing with the rift beasts and I'd play with it/try to have Lucifer manipulate it but I think I have too much else magic going on but lord give me disaster.