STATE OF THE TAXON
HAPPY DECEMBER! Tis the season to...do stuff!
A more prettified version of the calendar can be found here!
• HAVE YOURSELF A SPOOKY LITTLE CHRISTMAS...AND NEW YEAR’S...AND JANUARY: This month we’re introducing a long-range plot, symptoms of which will include thinking that they’ve seen a ghost. Or three. Or more. Details below!
• OBNOXIOUS CLICHE HOLIDAY-RELATED SHENANIGANS: GO! The aliens love Christmas. LOVE it. All of their source material tells them it is a time for Very Special Things of warmth, togetherness, and kissing people you probably shouldn’t. Expect some involuntary holiday cheer this month.
• PARTYING PARTYING: Prepare to loosen your belts and get your groove on, Taxon! There’s gonna be lots of festive decorations, free food, and free...tiny straw goats. It’ll make sense in time, probably.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
→ Your mods would like to start off with a hearty happy holidays to those who celebrate them, a merry end to exam season for those who celebrate THAT, and a pleasant December for everyone. It’s a hectic time of year for everyone, and we’re happy to be your temporary escape from holiday obligations/essays/what have you.
→ With the inevitable IRL busyness that comes with this time of year, we’re going to be doing some back-to-basics work and picking of your brains. Right now we have two info posts planned. One will be outlining all the things your character can do (and what you can do to your character) in the city: individual glitches, item petitions, and jobs. The other will be all about the Wiki! We know a few of you want to know more about how to work with it, and we’ll be happy to help to the best of our abilities.
→ Lastly, there is a player HMD post happening mid-month. This will be a time for the usual crit and/or praise, but as it is the last one for 2011 we’d like for folks to use the opportunity to figure out any dangling plot threads before going in to 2012.
AROUND THE CITY
→ Taxonia: As a reminder, the fairy tale AU event is going to last through December 6th. After that, Taxon is going back to its usual self...with added festiveness as outlined below.
→ Weather/atmosphere: As with November, the weather is staying with Sofie’s local climate: cold as heck, pitch dark by early afternoon and, finally, snow! Because of this, we’re going to be including some Swedish holiday traditions. Like the giant straw goat in the middle of Sanctuary Square in place of a Christmas tree. Sadly this goat is...just about guaranteed to be burned, dismantled or otherwise destroyed. Will the goat survive to Christmas? Only time will tell!
Also there is going to be a herd of reindeer walking the streets. Because why not. Bump into them anywhere.
→ Freebies: This month is all about the nomming, so food of all sorts is going to be free and plentiful this month! Also free this month are going to be miniature versions of the big goat for decorating purposes.
→ Ain’t no party like an O.Z. party:: Another year is drawing to a close according to the calendar, which of course means a tremendous hootenany, and two out of three Ozians think the Othersiders need to see how it’s done. Cain and Glitch are going to be throwing a party to celebrate Annual’s End, and it’s bound to be colorful, boisterous, and full of merriment. Especially when the headcase finally busts out the bottle of Dionysian wine he’s been hanging onto for almost two years.
AND THE SPIRITS DID IT ALL IN...OKAY IT’LL TAKE A WHILE
December’s plot event will draw heavily from the good ol’ tradition of scaring each other witless by telling the most gruesome of stories. Taxon will be haunted. Ghosts, mirages of lost loved ones, whispers in the wind, anything goes and everything is encouraged (within reason, of course). Maybe your characters will have strange dreams of home, or catch sight of someone they’ve lost - the haunting won’t be too intrusive, and the ghosts are just that. Non-intrusive reminders of what once was, what is, and what might be.
In addition, the city itself will be acting up. Trams skip stops, hatches take forever and a day to process your requests, and the tablet is not as smooth running as it normally is. It’s probably just a bug or something or other; maybe the hamsters need to get off their fat tushes and update the tablet interface.
All in all, brownie points go to amping up the creepy atmosphere. Think of it as a Scrooge-y Wintertime in Taxon. Should you wish for a stress free, no creepiness December, the haunting is completely opt-out-able. Go about your business as normal, have fun with the mistletoe (or was it the soft toffee candies?), and a Happy End of Year to one and all!
GET YOUR CLICHES HERE
It is time for the third annual Glitched Holiday Decorations Extravaganza! In previous years, being in the proximity of a decorated tree would make one wish to give gifts to people, wreaths would make them sing carols, and mistletoe would do its thing with involuntary kissing. This year, because by now certain folks will be running around screaming about not standing under shrubbery with your enemy/object of forbidden lust/a total stranger, the aliens are mixing it up a bit. Kiss by the tree (or the giant straw goat)! Sing under the mistletoe! Suffer a wreath-induced shopping spree! Or, you know, any combination of the above. Basically the effects are randomized, so feel free to go wild...or ignore them completely.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot? Heck no!
It's time once again for Taxon's monthly CR meme, a chance to recap the events of the previous month and make new ones for the one(s) ahead!
Previously: What's been going on with your character over the last month, or even months! Bring up things you feel you might need to handwave with others, too, to make sure you don't get stuck.
Glitch Plans: Let us know your plans for this month's big system glitch! Even detail other individual character glitches you may be planning on so folks can plot with you and get ideas bouncing.
Other Plans: The rest of your plans for this month! CR and plot requests, idea bouncing for what kinds of development you want them to accomplish, anything at all you want to do this month or get rolling for the months to come.
A more prettified version of the calendar can be found here!
• HAVE YOURSELF A SPOOKY LITTLE CHRISTMAS...AND NEW YEAR’S...AND JANUARY: This month we’re introducing a long-range plot, symptoms of which will include thinking that they’ve seen a ghost. Or three. Or more. Details below!
• OBNOXIOUS CLICHE HOLIDAY-RELATED SHENANIGANS: GO! The aliens love Christmas. LOVE it. All of their source material tells them it is a time for Very Special Things of warmth, togetherness, and kissing people you probably shouldn’t. Expect some involuntary holiday cheer this month.
• PARTYING PARTYING: Prepare to loosen your belts and get your groove on, Taxon! There’s gonna be lots of festive decorations, free food, and free...tiny straw goats. It’ll make sense in time, probably.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
→ Your mods would like to start off with a hearty happy holidays to those who celebrate them, a merry end to exam season for those who celebrate THAT, and a pleasant December for everyone. It’s a hectic time of year for everyone, and we’re happy to be your temporary escape from holiday obligations/essays/what have you.
→ With the inevitable IRL busyness that comes with this time of year, we’re going to be doing some back-to-basics work and picking of your brains. Right now we have two info posts planned. One will be outlining all the things your character can do (and what you can do to your character) in the city: individual glitches, item petitions, and jobs. The other will be all about the Wiki! We know a few of you want to know more about how to work with it, and we’ll be happy to help to the best of our abilities.
→ Lastly, there is a player HMD post happening mid-month. This will be a time for the usual crit and/or praise, but as it is the last one for 2011 we’d like for folks to use the opportunity to figure out any dangling plot threads before going in to 2012.
AROUND THE CITY
→ Taxonia: As a reminder, the fairy tale AU event is going to last through December 6th. After that, Taxon is going back to its usual self...with added festiveness as outlined below.
→ Weather/atmosphere: As with November, the weather is staying with Sofie’s local climate: cold as heck, pitch dark by early afternoon and, finally, snow! Because of this, we’re going to be including some Swedish holiday traditions. Like the giant straw goat in the middle of Sanctuary Square in place of a Christmas tree. Sadly this goat is...just about guaranteed to be burned, dismantled or otherwise destroyed. Will the goat survive to Christmas? Only time will tell!
Also there is going to be a herd of reindeer walking the streets. Because why not. Bump into them anywhere.
→ Freebies: This month is all about the nomming, so food of all sorts is going to be free and plentiful this month! Also free this month are going to be miniature versions of the big goat for decorating purposes.
→ Ain’t no party like an O.Z. party:: Another year is drawing to a close according to the calendar, which of course means a tremendous hootenany, and two out of three Ozians think the Othersiders need to see how it’s done. Cain and Glitch are going to be throwing a party to celebrate Annual’s End, and it’s bound to be colorful, boisterous, and full of merriment. Especially when the headcase finally busts out the bottle of Dionysian wine he’s been hanging onto for almost two years.
AND THE SPIRITS DID IT ALL IN...OKAY IT’LL TAKE A WHILE
December’s plot event will draw heavily from the good ol’ tradition of scaring each other witless by telling the most gruesome of stories. Taxon will be haunted. Ghosts, mirages of lost loved ones, whispers in the wind, anything goes and everything is encouraged (within reason, of course). Maybe your characters will have strange dreams of home, or catch sight of someone they’ve lost - the haunting won’t be too intrusive, and the ghosts are just that. Non-intrusive reminders of what once was, what is, and what might be.
In addition, the city itself will be acting up. Trams skip stops, hatches take forever and a day to process your requests, and the tablet is not as smooth running as it normally is. It’s probably just a bug or something or other; maybe the hamsters need to get off their fat tushes and update the tablet interface.
All in all, brownie points go to amping up the creepy atmosphere. Think of it as a Scrooge-y Wintertime in Taxon. Should you wish for a stress free, no creepiness December, the haunting is completely opt-out-able. Go about your business as normal, have fun with the mistletoe (or was it the soft toffee candies?), and a Happy End of Year to one and all!
GET YOUR CLICHES HERE
It is time for the third annual Glitched Holiday Decorations Extravaganza! In previous years, being in the proximity of a decorated tree would make one wish to give gifts to people, wreaths would make them sing carols, and mistletoe would do its thing with involuntary kissing. This year, because by now certain folks will be running around screaming about not standing under shrubbery with your enemy/object of forbidden lust/a total stranger, the aliens are mixing it up a bit. Kiss by the tree (or the giant straw goat)! Sing under the mistletoe! Suffer a wreath-induced shopping spree! Or, you know, any combination of the above. Basically the effects are randomized, so feel free to go wild...or ignore them completely.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot? Heck no!
It's time once again for Taxon's monthly CR meme, a chance to recap the events of the previous month and make new ones for the one(s) ahead!
Previously: What's been going on with your character over the last month, or even months! Bring up things you feel you might need to handwave with others, too, to make sure you don't get stuck.
Glitch Plans: Let us know your plans for this month's big system glitch! Even detail other individual character glitches you may be planning on so folks can plot with you and get ideas bouncing.
Other Plans: The rest of your plans for this month! CR and plot requests, idea bouncing for what kinds of development you want them to accomplish, anything at all you want to do this month or get rolling for the months to come.