Friends, Romans, Countrymen...

[sashwizzled]

So, err.

If anyone is still interested at this point, the list of people to be NPC'd on the next report tomorrow unless they post with VEs are:

Koshirou Aizawa (VE!)
Yukihiko Koyamada (I hereby award myself a VE/I'm waiting for Koshirou)
Benjiro Takagi (VE!)
Mizuki Abe
Satsuki Takada (VE!)
Haruka Yoshida (Josh is waiting for Koshirou

Comments

[snideways]

Have you considered, after tomorrow's report, doing away with the scheduled reports entirely? I didn't want to officially suggest this in case V11 did end up happening, but now that it looks like V10 is the last version, I think it could be beneficial to whoever's left and still wants to play.

NPC sweeps could (and should, I think) still happen - maybe every two months, same as if scheduled reports had been going on? - but having a report when enough people are dead instead of every three/four weeks could take some of the pressure off of busy players who are still interested, and also keep you from having to continually write "Ms Ren is disappoint"-esque reports until V10 inevitably goes to collars, which, let's face it, would be a pretty lame way for BRRP to end.

I - and pretty much everyone else, I think - have fallen really behind this version and although I'm still interested in playing and finishing up BRRP on a good note for me personally, I'm just kind of like... asdfghj wondering how I'm going to catch up. I mean, at this point there's really no pressure due to possibly pushing back V11, because V11 isn't going to happen... and if you're still doing NPC sweeps, it's still making sure people don't get too busy and wander off and never officially NPC.

So. V10 doesn't go to collars, BRRP doesn't end on a totally pathetic note, people who still wanna play can catch up and maybe kill some people, and Ms. Ren doesn't have to shit a brick every six hours. \o/

[izunami]

Actually...I like this idea quite a bit. This was going to be my last version whether the com lasted or not but I'd really like to make it through at least one OC round without NPCing. I've avoided the sweeps so far but I'm writing so casually I'm not sure how long that's going to last. Doing away with a schedule and letting the activity factor determine when they happen so the reports have more on them and there isn't a threat of going to collars really makes me happy.

[sjorn]

I like this idea a lot too, actually. I'm pretty sure (unless I missed it in their post[s]) that Rianne and Dan, who're the furthest along in terms of reports, aren't even up to date with all the reports... so it's gonna be hellish for everyone else, I think, even with the reports being monthly now. I think otherwise people are just gonna be playing catch-up for the rest of the game.

[sjorn]

also there's only a small number of players left, and we're all pretty active (in-terms of chat, being on AIM, and whatnot) so it won't really be difficult to get everyone's opinion on when the next report should be, to know when they're ready, etc, so that the mods can post when everyone's ready and so forth. |D

[snideways]

Yeah, it's the constantly catching up that makes it so depressing. Like I know that even if I skip over some of the reports I've missed, I'm still constantly going to be trying to catch up to the most recent report, like a carrot hanging on a string in front of a donkey or something. D:< IT GETS YOU DOWN, MANNN.

[sjorn]

Yeah, I kind of doesn't help your motivation to write either, when you're constantly behind. ;_; I DON'T WANNA WRITE ABOUT A REPORT IN EVERY POST.

[sjorn]

it* omg
I JUST WOKE UP OKAY hdf

[rietje_1]

I agree to some extend. It's true that the constant lagging behind and pressure of a deadline really hurts people's motivation to write - time bubbles are hard to get out of without it going at the expense of the post itself - but I think just getting rid of the reports completely is taking it too far.

How about posting an OOC note a few days before the report (hope that doesn't mean a whole lot of extra work for the mods) where everyone can give their input and if the majority wants an extension (be it from a lack of posts or NPC deaths) and if so: how long, they can get it. It still gives you guys flexibility, peace, and gets rid of the collar worries, but it keeps the community idea.

I kind of feel that because everyone's priority seems to be keeping pace rather than their character, the story starts feeling a bit... incoherent, is that the right word? If we regularly have a thread we'll know where everyone's standing and it might give people directions.

Re: NPC sweeps staying every two months, yes please. For the reasons mentioned.

By the way, Dan and I are up-to-date with the reports but just barely.

[rietje_1]

Ugh double post but just thought of something:

Since I'm not a fan of the idea of waiting until everyone thinks it's the best time to post a report for every single report until the end of the game, I want to suggest it.

What about holding off report 6 until a reasonable number of people have caught up to their satisfaction and feel they can keep up again and then revert back to a report every month? Would that still be too much pressure?

[sashwizzled]

As a player, I agree with you, and I've brought it up myself a couple of times. Everyone is too far behind for this to be fun anymore and let's face it, what's the point if it's not fun?

As a mod, this option is wide open to abuse as it was shamelessly in V3 and 4. :/ People taking the piss and just not having to bother to even pay lip service to VEs, the version taking so long even the people still here just have to drift off.... That's why it's not been done yet.

What I will do is maybe put off tomorrow's report until I can talk to Kristin about it. That may be next week, just because we're both busy as hale, but if the report's put off by that long, I'm sure no one will mind. XD NPC sweep will still go on, but really, the only person still up for it is Mizuki Abe since the rest have given me VEs. Even if they're Rob and fail too hard to ask outright.

[snideways]

Well, I agree that it's open to abuse, but maybe doing away with scheduled reports with the compromise that VEs are more strict? Not strict to the point of being unreasonable, but like... instead of someone being all, "I was busy with school la la la," they have to be like, "I had this project and this test to study for," and maybe a VE is only valid for one NPC sweep instead of indefinitely? If a person needs multiple VEs in a row, unless they have a really good reason (like, "Fuck, I had all these school projects to do AND THEN MY COMPUTER DIED" or something), if they still haven't posted by their second NPC sweep, tough titties for them. It's kind of harsh, but needing a VE for four months in a row is kind of... wtf anyway.

I'm not trying to imply that people lie when they ask for VEs, or anything like that, but right now pretty much any excuse a person can possibly conceive of gets them a VE, even if it's a barely veiled way of saying "Uhh I just didn't have motivation/forgot to write."

I mean, there are pros and cons to doing away with scheduled reports, so I think that if that should happen, VEs and NPC sweeps should be taken more seriously as a way of compromising and making sure people don't totally abuse the concept.

[sashwizzled]

I agree with that idea. Asking that people post once every two months (four if they have a VE) isn't particularly taxing and there's no reason not to be able to if there's not any good reason.

I'll definitely talk to Kristin about it, and until then, this next report can be put off. I'll edit the post saying so o/

[rietje_1]

Good point, four months really should be enough to write a post unless there's a good reason. Adding that rule will reduce the possibility of people abusing having so much freedom (which is why I myself have reservations towards the "let's just wait with each report until everyone thinks it's a good time for it," idea - it takes out so much structure).

And I personally would prefer it too if people would at least bother to post in br_ooc if they need a VE rather than just ask the mods in private.

[anbyrobanby]

Even if they're Rob and fail too hard to ask outright.

Oi! Cheeky :P

But yes, thank you for granting me one. I'm kinda knew this was going to happen for me well before the version started, hence why I had been hesitating about even signing up to play, if memory serves <,<

Dont mind me, it's 3am and i'm in a bit of a duff mood, coming down off the back of a high from a can of Relentless.

Err, report deadline do-away-withfulness. I can certainly see the benefit of applying this here, yet also seeing that the likes of V4 and V5 went on for the best part of 6-8 months (iirc, prob not), and that was before the tl;dr train properly pulled into the station, it's a little frightening to see what might happen given the modern comm's writing.

Don't get me wrong: this isn't a slight against anybody, and I love the way the writing's come to pass. I'm just saying without some framework, there's a good chance the version will be completed in December 2012, when the world ends. >__>

But I'd personally be leaning toward losing them if i were still in play (or at least, slackening off), but I've never been in this position where there's(probably) not a new version in the pipeline afterward.

Nothing I said was really useful, new, or insightful. I'd go to bed but the caffeine's still pumping round my ass.