2024-12-06 - Wehnimer's Landing - OOC Meeting (log)

Introduction

Thandiwe says, "Thank you for joining us today as we discuss the past, present, and future of Wehnimer s Landing. First and foremost, we d like to express our heartfelt appreciation for GM Kenstrom s incredible contributions over the years. His dedication to creating immersive storylines, fostering deep connections with players, and building a vibrant community has been instrumental in shaping the Landing into the beloved hub it is today."

Thandiwe says, "We will not be addressing or answering questions regarding Kenstrom's departure during this meeting, as it's our policy to never comment on staff comings and goings. We want to assure you, though, that the team is fully committed to honoring his legacy by continuing to build meaningful narratives, expand opportunities for player engagement, and uphold the unique identity of Wehnimer s Landing."

Thandiwe says, "We especially want to be clear that every bit of roleplay we'll be doing is being done with an eye toward player inclusivity and cultivating a friendly, welcoming environment for players who want to engage. The upcoming storylines are designed to have something for all of the Landing's constituencies, and we're going to make every effort to involve both seasoned Wehnimerian veterans and interested newcomers."

Thandiwe says, "To ensure today's meeting runs smoothly, here's an outline of what to expect:"

Thandiwe says, "The start of the meeting will be silenced."

Thandiwe says, "We'll go through the agenda and key points before opening the floor for questions."

Thandiwe says, "A sign-up process will be in place for those wishing to ask questions."

Thandiwe says, "We kindly ask everyone to remain respectful of one another."

Thandiwe says, "We're excited to move forward together as a community and look forward to hearing your thoughts, ideas, and feedback. Thank you for being a part of what makes Wehnimer's Landing such a special place."

Survey Results

Thandiwe says, "Let's get started with some statistics."

Thandiwe says, "Survey Quick Statistics - Let's dive into the survey results and what they tell us about our community. Of the 51 survey participants, 38 individuals signed their names, and 32 answered all of the questions. While the response rate wasn't universal, it still provides insights into the preferences and sentiments of those who responded."

Thandiwe says, "Notably, 76% of respondents identified the Landing as their home, highlighting the strong connection many of you feel to this town and its community. Furthermore, 69% of participants shared that they actively engage in Landing storylines."

Thandiwe says, "When it comes to event preferences, opinions are widely varied. For example:"

Thandiwe says, "Approximately 10% of respondents enjoyed short-term storylines the most, while 8% said they enjoyed them the least."

Thandiwe says, "Around 12% said merchants were their favorite aspect, but 18% rated them as their least favorite."

Thandiwe says, "Similarly, 12% favored one-off events, while 16% found them least enjoyable."

Thandiwe says, "Invasions were a particularly divisive topic, with 25.5% saying they enjoyed them the most, and an equal 25.5% saying they enjoyed them the least."

Thandiwe says, "Long-term storylines stood out as the most discussed, with 41% rating them as most important, while 33% found them least enjoyable."

Thandiwe says, "This is interesting because for nearly every topic, the number of players who enjoyed something closely mirrored those who did not. Where preferences diverged, the variance was typically small, ranging from just 2% to 12%. To us, this is a positive thing: it means that players have a wide variety of interests, and we're going to make every effort to give all of those interests a time to shine in the stories we tell going forward."

Thandiwe says, "One critical trend emerged across the board and that was empire-centric fatigue. Whether participants identified as pro-empire, anti-empire, or neutral, there was universal agreement that the empire as an antagonist had become an overused narrative trope. This feedback is a clear call to explore fresh storylines and broaden the scope of our narratives without diminishing the playtime of the NPCs that are established."

Thandiwe says, "Finally, when we looked at timing preferences for events, 76% of participants indicated that they preferred activities between 7 PM and 1 AM EDT. A smaller group, about 4%, preferred late-night hours between 1 and 3 AM EDT, while 20% expressed flexibility and said they could participate at any time."

Thandiwe says, "I want to make it abundantly clear that we are tackling the needs of Wehnimer's Landing as a team. Many of you have reminded us through the survey that the Landing is the oldest location of the game, the veritable melting pot, and has the largest population - transient or otherwise. As such, we recognize and understand both its historical significance, as well as its geological one."

Thandiwe says, "We are committed to ensuring diverse storylines, inclusivity, and a continuation of its rich history."

Answering Some Questions from Survey Respondents

Thandiwe says, "Survey Specifics --- Here are some questions that stood out that we wanted to address specifically."

Thandiwe asks, "We asked: What is the plan for ensuring continuity in established NPC relationships and ongoing story arcs?"

Thandiwe says, "To ensure continuity, we are actively reviewing and documenting game logs to update both the player-facing and GM wikis with detailed NPC information. This effort includes tracking NPC actions, dialogue, and interactions with players to maintain consistency in their personalities and histories. This documentation will serve as a valuable resource for any GM stepping into these roles, enabling them to faithfully represent established NPCs. GM Warlockes has been leading this effort, and you may have already noticed updates to the wiki reflecting this work."

Thandiwe smiles at Warlockes.

Warlockes smiles.

Kaonashi nods gratefully at Warlockes.

Thandiwe asks, "We asked: Will there be updates on the timeline for new capped hunting areas or the reintroduction of features like Voln seek in Darkstone?"

Thandiwe says, "Capped hunting areas were never planned for the Landing and are not currently approved, plotted, or scheduled. We want to dispel any rumors to the contrary. Regarding Darkstone's Voln features, these should still be functional despite the area's relocation to the Bleaklands. If you encounter any issues with these features, please submit a BUG report so we can address specific room or area data problems. We did want to point out that the Landing does have access to the Confluence, Grimswarm, and Bandit tasks."

Thandiwe turns to face Auchand.

Auchand exclaims, "I've gone through and fixed a few of the creature-based issues that were created by the move to Darkstone. Sorry those lingered for a while!"

Auchand says, "As far as Voln Seeking, I expect that'll be fixed tonight."

Auchand says, "All of the bounties there should be working now."

Thandiwe says, "We do know about Voln Seeking, it is actively being looked into."

Auchand exclaims, "Tonight, on my word as a Time Lord!"

Auchand grins.

Optheria grins at Auchand.

Marstreforn asks, "When is tonight, in Time Lord time?"

Marstreforn stares off into space.

Auchand shrugs at Marstreforn.

Thandiwe asks, "We asked: How does the team plan to address community concerns about inclusivity and managing negative roleplay dynamics?"

Thandiwe turns to face Auchand.

Auchand says, "We're aware that sometimes, players can get heated over their different tastes. Our goal is to be as inclusive as possible in our storytelling, and to create some room for players with different tastes to engage in different events throughout upcoming storylines."

Auchand says, "We can do a lot to keep negative roleplay dynamics at bay by giving everyone who wants to participate a chance to shine, and by creating space in the story for differences of opinion, but we'd appreciate your help in making this a positive experience for everyone. You can help out by cultivating respect and OOC cooperation (in spite of IC differences) throughout the process."

Auchand says, "Please do! Remember that we all share this world, and we've all put a lot of work into it. All I'd personally ask is that you remember that everyone else loves GS as much as you do, and to treat them as you would want to be treated."

Optheria nods.

Auchand nods at Thandiwe.

Thandiwe smiles.

Thandiwe asks, "We asked: What steps are being taken to balance the portrayal of the Human Empire and its influence on Landing storylines?"

Thandiwe says, "We are working to align closely with Kenstrom's vision for the Landing, preserving its identity as a free and independent frontier. While certain elements of the "North by Northwest" storyline remain to be resolved, we can assure you that the Landing's autonomy will be maintained. The Empire's refugee camp will eventually be dismantled as the story unfolds, with those individuals relocating to Darkstone Bay Barony and becoming neighbors rather than overseers. The Landing's status as a protectorate under the Northern Sentinel will remain unless a significant governmental storyline alters that status. This protectorate designation and the Barony were key parts of Kenstrom's vision, and any changes will reflect deliberate, meaningful storytelling."

Kaonashi sniffs.

Thandiwe says, "To answer some whispers, yes, we know the refugee camp is Darkstone Barony at the moment, but Darkstone Castle was moved to accomodate them and the plan was to move them into its vacant space. This will give it a wider berth from the landing walls."

Thandiwe says, "The final question that came up..."

Thandiwe asks, "Regarding the Race Guruship of Humans, who will be handling those items going forward?"

Thandiwe says, "Given our history, Auchand, Kenstrom, and I have been unofficially working together in this area for some time. New lore documents, various pieces of governance, etc, have been a group effort. As such, Auchand and I will be continuing to work together for the furtherance of the Human Race within Elanthia."

Auchand glances at Kiyna.

Auchand coughs in Human.

Thandiwe says, "Marstreforn is going to be taking a moment talk about continuity."

Marstreforn smiles.

Marstreforn says, "Thank you."

Marstreforn says, "As many of you know, I worked with Kenstrom on many of his projects. Those included several facets of Grishom Stone, Barnon Slim, and Elithain Cross in the earlier years of our days as GameMasters."

Marstreforn says, "More recently we worked together on several projects including the Darkstone Bay Consortium, the Bazaar name after it, and several components throughout North by Northwest."

Marstreforn says, "Several of my NPCs are delegates of high ranking officials of both Wehnimer's Landing and the more recent Darkstone settlers from Talador. How things go forward with those NPCs will depend on how we decide to approach the concept of Wehnimer's Landing in its relationship with the rest of Elanthia, and not just its own community."

Marstreforn says, "This includes nearby towns, and how it interacts with those towns."

Auchand nods at Marstreforn.

Marstreforn says, "I hope to continue playing those NPCs in a capacity to assist with continuity and progress toward future endeavors around Wehnimer's Landing as needed. Some of these will likely occur in early 2025."

Marstreforn says, "I hear there is a good amount of CORN in Icemule to trade."

Auchand glances at Marstreforn.

Auchand steeples his fingers.

Marstreforn says, "The relationships those NPCs have made with various groups and the designs ahead will welcome people to work together towards achieving a better outcome for the different groups involved. I would like to make it possible for those NPCs to be useful to you, as players."

Marstreforn says, "They are not just for me to play but should be useful to further your enjoyment of the game and help as a process toward plots and new developments."

Marstreforn nods.

Thandiwe says, "We have worked really hard to ensure that, unlike other areas where GMs have left, to catalog a large group of notes, access to the NPCs, and continuity of history for what has taken place. Our Loremaster on this has been, primarily Warlockes, but also, Marstreforn because of his part in it. Additionally, we've some of Kenstrom's notes to continue with. That said, we will do our best to not make it jarring. Many of the NPCs are essential personalities for the story of Wehnimer's Landing and we need these characters to continue telling a seamless story. It simply can't be avoided."

Auchand nods.

Thandiwe says, "At this time, we have an open list for questions. We will tap you to have you state your question and then leave you unsilenced while the answer is taking place."

Thandiwe says, "Once the question is answered, we will return you to silence."

Live Question 1, from Kelfyr

Thandiwe asks, "Kelfyr, you had a question?"

Kelfyr says, "Thanks."

Kelfyr asks, "The Landing has taken a more democratic approach than some other areas to choosing leadership positions, including choosing player characters in town leadership roles. Will this continue and do we expect those leaders to be reflected in storylines and town activities, as well as contributing to the further evolution of the town and the surrounding areas?"

[four minute pause]

Marstreforn nods at Kelfyr.

Kelfyr says, "That was a lot of deliberation for a nod."

Auchand says, "So, while I think we've had a lot of success with regard to player voluntary positions, such as ambassadors and the like, I think the path to player leadership of towns has proven repeatedly fraught for a lot of reasons."

Marstreforn grins.

Auchand says, "We have comings and goings, personality differences, etc."

Auchand says, "And I think that, when handled without the utmost care, player leadership positions contribute to the creation of in-groups and out-groups that are harmful to a community as small and passionate as ours."

Kelfyr asks, "I'm hearing a No here, is that accurate?"

Auchand says, "Kenstrom and I both took some steps to pull back from elected leadership roles like that, starting with the termination of player mayors in IMT."

Auchand says, "Thandiwe also has some supporting history for this."

Thandiwe says, "Four years ago, on-site stepped up because of the large quantities of feedback that was given to them, they stated that we needed to do away with elected roles of leadership such as Mayors. Far too many people felt it was a popularity contest, it generated epic portions of terrible feelings, and didn't always go well. There were many screams of favoritism. We were mandated to get rid of these roles and Kenstrom was working towards that."

Auchand says, "I would say that any sort of player positions from here on out will be purely for forwarding roleplay, and won't put players in positions where they have authority over other players involuntarily."

Optheria nods at Auchand.

Thandiwe nods at Auchand.

Kelfyr asks, "Interesting, does that mean we also expect to see the elected PCs positions eliminated across the board?"

Kelfyr asks, "Throughout Elanthia?"

Auchand says, "I'd say elected positions of power."

Thandiwe says, "Elected positions of power will be going away, yes."

Auchand nods.

Auchand says, "Title rewards, orders, etc. won't."

Kelfyr asks, "Final question: do we expect a wider announcement about this change to be posted on Discord and etc?"

Thandiwe says, "Sorry, Kelfyr, I thought we answered you."

Thandiwe says, "One moment."

Thandiwe says, "Sure, I'll work on wording and get that clearly stated."

Kelfyr says, "Well, that was the end of the question really. Although I was also asked what "positions of power" entails in a town with elected councilors, envoys, and a marshal."

Thandiwe says, "I will work with the other APMs, and this team to ensure that we state it correctly."

Kelfyr says, "Which would be good to define."

Kelfyr nods at Thandiwe.

Kelfyr says, "Thanks."

Thandiwe says, "Yes, I saw that Stormyrain asked you that but figured we'd address it under her question set."

Kelfyr says, "Perhaps an audit of all such positions worldwide and their ongoing status."

Kelfyr says, "I have no idea what's done west of the Spine and whatnot."

Kelfyr says, "Er, east."

Thandiwe grins at Kelfyr.

Thandiwe says, "We ARE west, but I understand your question."

Kelfyr says, "Yeah, mostly just pointing out, a worldwide message should hopefully address the whole of the world."

Kelfyr says, "That's all, thanks for the time."

Kelfyr says, "And the answers."

Thandiwe smiles at Kelfyr.

Live Question 2, from Stormyrain

Thandiwe asks, "Stormyrain?"

Stormyrain smiles.

Marstreforn says, "Titles gained from roleplaying achievements and storylines, quests, and otherwise aren't going to be taken away."

Stormyrain says, "Thank you, first of all, for such a thorough introduction to the state of the Landing, you already answered many of my questions."

Marstreforn grins.

Thandiwe smiles at Stormyrain.

Stormyrain asks, "I do wonder about the titles and positions the Landing has and whether or not they are considered positions of power; the positions Kelfyr mentioned. That is one question, and another is who is the new town Guru?"

Thandiwe says, "I can answer the question of guruship pretty quickly."

Stormyrain nods gratefully.

Thandiwe says, "We are treating it as a team project. No one person is handling any one thing. For example, Elidi and I are pairing up on certain things. Auchand and Marstreforn are working on others. Kaonashi, Warlockes, Auchand, Mastreforn, and I are working on storyline components. We are also making an effort to diversify the times. Ensuring that things take place at times convenient for differnet people. Some things will have a feel of "quest based" to allow for 'downtime" opportunities, too."

Stormyrain nods understandingly.

Thandiwe says, "I believe Elysani and Optheria are working on merchant efforts."

Thandiwe glances between Elysani and Optheria.

Optheria nods.

Optheria says, "Yup."

Stormyrain says, "Thank you, that's a unique and interesting approach. I look forward to seeing how it works."

Auchand nods.

Marstreforn says, "Also, the kobolds are your new overlords. Check in with Blarrgh on Tuesdays."

Thandiwe says, "But only Tuesdays that have odd numbered dates."

Optheria flashes a wide grin.

Thandiwe says, "Titles that were not elected, will remain."

Thandiwe says, "Its pretty simple."

Stormyrain ponders.

Stormyrain nods.

Thandiwe says, "Knighthood and Magisters are examples of titles earned through roleplaying and we don't see much difference. We will honor that."

Stormyrain nods.

Thandiwe says, "I can see the whispers...."

Thandiwe says, "And, to set some things at ease, Marshal was not an elected position in our records."

Stormyrain says, "Stormy was appointed the Marshal, not elected, if we need to have a conversation about that position we can do it at another time to as not to monopolize this. I also just want to say I am hopeful that non EST prime time storylines and events will continue. Thank you for the time."

Thandiwe says, "I do believe we addressed the issue of times."

Stormyrain says, "I may have missed it! Lots of..whispers."

Stormyrain nods gratefully.

Thandiwe says, "Our effort is pretty much to continue providing opportunities in a multiple of time zones."

Stormyrain exclaims, "Excellent!"

Thandiwe asks, "So that I don't silence you -- like I did Kelfyr -- oops -- before you are finished, did you have anything else you wanted addressed?"

Stormyrain says, "That is all from me, I appreciate it greatly."

Thandiwe nods.

Live Question 3, from Tikba

Thandiwe says, "Greetings Tikba."

Tikba says, "Hello! Just a warning that this may be a little bit long."

Tikba says, "I will be direct and say that in retrospect I think, and I think a lot of players think, that North by Northwest was not a successful storyline. There were characters I loved and fun moments and set pieces. There was also a huge amount of player acrimony, Imperial players feeling targeted, anti-Imperial players feeling marginalized, about 170,000 Discord messages on a weekly basis."

Auchand nods at Tikba.

Tikba says, "There was a big, visible falloff in the players who showed up to KST, and a fairly abrupt ending that did not really feel like it resolved many of the issues that the storylines brought out and hit repeatedly with a hammer."

Thandiwe says, "I don't want to interrupt you, so I'll wait for you to let me know when you are ready for us to respond."

Tikba says, "I am a fan of conflict and storylines with stakes but I am not a fan of storylines that ruin the game for folks. I feel a little concerned, given the discussion so far, that there might not be a clear understanding among the GMs taking over of how raw and rough the Landing RP situation is and how likely even innocuous storylines are to end up pulled into the very active player conflict."

Tikba asks, "So my question basically is, what do you guys think went wrong with NxNW specifically, and how do you plan to address it, while including all of the Landing constituencies, as you have said is your priority?"

Tikba asks, "What's your diagnosis?"

Auchand says, "I think we're very aware of how raw things are, and we have a lot of good minds at the table trying to avoid exacerbating it and begin healing."

Thandiwe says, "Give me just a moment to compose our thoughts, we are discussing."

Auchand nods at Thandiwe.

Tikba nods understandingly.

Thandiwe says, "I think there is a misconception that many of us don't understand the deep and heated issues that arose from this storyline. Many of us had to wade into the Discord Channel, we've had to handle assists regarding warn interactions, issues, and conversations, we've also had to read through volumes of feedback, both through the various surveys that Kenstrom created and the one we created."

Thandiwe says, "We know the issues. We are working as a group to handle each of those issues to ensure that the incredibly dynamic and diverse opinions are heard and addressed, but that doesn't mean they will be all resolved instantly. We need time to compose these responses and get them out there. We need time to build and we need time to allow for some healing."

Thandiwe says, "Give me one moment to finish..."

Thandiwe says, "We also do not want to recon any of Kenstrom's work. It would not only be wildly disrespectful to his efforts but yours as well. What we do need to do is find ways to resolve these issues within the roleplaying aspects that they created. We don't want to disrespect your efforts within the framework either and it would cheapen everything we've come through to do so."

Tikba nods in agreement.

Auchand says, "I just want to reiterate something that I said earlier on this subject."

Tikba says, "I would like exactly that, to be able to resolve the issues through roleplaying the situation in the storyline."

Marstreforn nods.

Auchand says, "We're putting in what I think is a Herculean effort to create a framework that'll be better in terms of player-to-player interaction, but you--as players--are the most important piece of this equation."

Auchand says, "We badly need your help in lowering the temperature and reestablishing a culture of respect from an OOC and OOG perspective."

Tikba nods in agreement at Auchand.

Optheria nods in agreement.

Auchand says, "Discord, especially, has linked us all very closely and familiarity breeds contempt."

Auchand says, "We don't want to make the game conflict-free because conflict is the heartbeat of great stories."

Tikba says, "It's true, never post on Discord."

Tikba nods in agreement at Auchand.

Auchand says, "But we need your help, and we're going to keep asking for every player to prioritize being kind and compassionate to other human beings."

Thandiwe asks, "Before I tap you out, Did you have anything further Tikba?"

Tikba says, "No, I think that's it."

Tikba exclaims, "Thank you!"

Thandiwe nods.

Thandiwe smiles.

Live Question 4, from Vaemyr

Thandiwe says, "Vaemyr."

Vaemyr says, "This might be a bit long winded, but I really appreciate everything that you are doing so far."

Thandiwe smiles.

Vaemyr says, "My question is that I feel we as players have had a bit of a hard time in recent years in trying to affect physical change in Wehnimer's Landing. By that I mean seeing buildings change, rooms change, new stuff getting added."

Vaemyr says, "Obviously changing stuff is a ton of work, and there's continuity to think about, there's work potentially to make things even in other towns, and I think Kenstrom was not the best coder and so some things were out of his wheelhouse to do. But I have seen players get together to try and push and do a ton of roleplay to try and build or do certain things, which I think is awesome. I look back and see many older things that were player/gm colaboration and those are so cool to see."

Vaemyr says, "Is there going to be potentially a change in how much we can hope to see done? Just some examples of things like new defenses or tools in invasions, or painting of certain rooms to reflect player effort, or gosh darn it let us have some stone walls maybe haha."

Vaemyr nods.

Thandiwe says, "Sure, I can address this ... give me a moment."

The beckoning scent of fresh baked cookies wafts from the direction of Silverwood Manor.

Kaonashi sniffs.

Thandiwe says, "So one of the things that the Survey mentioned, with a large percentage of the responses noting this, was that they wanted the Landing to maintain its feeling of a "frontier" area. We agree with that, however, each of us Marstreforn, Auchand, Kaonashi, myself, Elysian, and Casil are always happy to make changes within the framework or an area that not only fit the area, but also improve upon it without causing it to lose its feeling."

Thandiwe asks, "One example is the bizarre that was included. We definitely continue its updates. Marstreforn can you elaborate?"

Thandiwe says, "Yes, Svardin, I meant Bazaar."

Marstreforn says, "The Bazaar is also something me and Kenstrom talked about expanding, so I think we can probably come up with some data on what players would like and see if we can add a few shops."

Thandiwe says, "I did have a very serious question..."

Marstreforn says, "Also, I am continuing with the progress between Zul Logoth and Wehnimer's Landing, so we will likely need some data on how to proceed with that from this side of things. The Ferryman has been working hard for so long..."

Marstreforn nods.

Marstreforn peers quizzically at Thandiwe.

Thandiwe says, "So -- my question -- And it may seem strange, but I've heard threads of this a few times. Do not whisper to me your question, I can probably set up some voting in the landing."

Thandiwe says, "I've heard several times from one group of people -- please don't laugh -- that folks want better walls."

Thandiwe says, "So, I'll probably set up a voting booth for this that will last for a while...."

Marstreforn asks, "So you want a rustic... stone wall?"

Marstreforn squints.

Thandiwe says, "Yea, that's what I keep hearing."

Auchand says, "I want walls all the way to Northwatch."

Auchand nods.

Vaemyr says, "Haha, yeah there's definitely been some desire for some wall improvements for a couple years from player groups."

Thandiwe nods.

Vaemyr says, "Even if it's not like "oh those are big medieval castle walls" which might not fit a frontier town too well, I think seeing something reflect those efforts would be awesome."

Vaemyr says, "So a pool, question about it for players would certainly be something I personally would love to see."

Thandiwe says, "Okay, so then what we will likely do -- based on whisper I'm seeing -- is set up a voting booth with multiple ideas and then work towards implimenting the winning result. Voting should likely be by citizenship."

Thandiwe says, "Also, as I just saw this...."

Thandiwe says, "Please forgive me for interrupt your question Vaemyr."

Thandiwe says, "We are building a list of loose threads."

Thandiwe says, "Our goal is to eventually tie them up."

Vaemyr says, "Oh it's fine, these are good."

Thandiwe smiles at Vaemyr.

Thandiwe asks, "Did you have anything else, Vaemyr?"

Vaemyr asks, "Oh just this, as one of the final Town Councilors where do I sign up to try and steal power and start my villian arc?"

Vaemyr says, "Obviously joking, but really thank you all for your time, and the work you are doing."

Thandiwe says, "Also, remember to JOIN list if you have a qusetion."

Thandiwe smiles at Vaemyr.

Live Question 5, from Svardin

Thandiwe asks, "Svardin?"

Svardin exclaims, "Not that guy. Oh wait!"

Svardin says, "First, I want to thank all of you for all you do. I don't want any of you to feel that your work and effort is unappeciated. Second, I simply want to ask if we can get a few demons and living things in any planned post-cap areas. They are challenging, fun and don't cause younger adventurers to drool whenever they choose to take the risk with an elder group."

Svardin says, "That is all."

Thandiwe asks, "Uhm, I think we addressed this pretty early on... but Auchand?"

Auchand says, "Yes."

Optheria flashes a wide grin.

Auchand moves on to the next question.

Auchand says, "The next planned hunting area will have a lot of living creatures. Demons are something I want to work on RSN (tm)."

Thandiwe asks, "Svardin, do you have anything else we could answer?"

Svardin says, "Well, you can't cure insanity, so thank you and no."

Thandiwe grins.

Live Question 6, from Lylia

Thandiwe asks, "Lylia?"

Lylia says, "Hi there! I'm going to start off echoing the same words of praise others have had; this is a monumental task, and I appreciate the work that's going into honoring the Landing's history while preparing it for its future."

Lylia asks, "There's one aspect of the future I was curious about, though, based on something that was said early on in the meeting: Are some of the most notable and famous NPCs going to be played by others? Or are they going to be left to their own devices while their minions, councilors, or bosses are now doing the talking?"

Lylia says, "A lot of Kenstrom's big marquis NPCs are inherently more remote, such as Rodnay and Grishom Stone, but others are more present."

Thandiwe says, "As we previously stated, there are some NPCs that we simply can't let their minions handle things. They must take efforts and stay centrally focused. Those NPCs will be out. We have access to a large quantity of the NPCs."

Lylia nods.

Thandiwe says, "Which is why we are making such huge efforts to comb logs, event reports, etc, to ensure we know how they spoke, what their personalities were, and what their motiviations and connections are. We are making every effort to be continuous with that."

Auchand nods.

Lylia nods.

Thandiwe says, "Our goal is continuity. Historical continuity."

Lylia says, "It looks like that's happening with care and thought; I appreciate it. If there's anything we can do as players to aid in that, I'm sure we would all be willing."

Thandiwe smiles at Lylia.

Lylia says, "That's about it; thank you again."

Lylia smiles at Thandiwe.

Auchand says, "I think we've had situations where this has worked out really well in the past."

Thandiwe says, "Uhm, Auchand brings up a good point. So I'm going to let him -- or that."

Auchand chuckles.

Marstreforn grins.

Optheria flashes a wide grin.

Thandiwe says, "Neither he nor I originally played Malwinds and we take great pains to honor their originators."

Auchand says, "And over time, we've inhabited old characters--but it's always with sensitivity toward the skill and roleplaying expertise of folks who came before."

Auchand nods.

Thandiwe agrees with Auchand.

Live Question 7, from Wolfloner

Thandiwe says, "Wolfloner."

Wolfloner nods.

Wolfloner says, "Thank you all for taking on this task, It must be daunting..."

Thandiwe grins at Wolfloner.

Wolfloner says, "Main point of contention and the cause for so much angst is the Landing being under the Empire's thumb...."

Wolfloner says, "That is against the very history of a free and independent landing..."

Wolfloner says, "Why are we not doing away with the Protectorate status? There should be some genuine movement in that area."

Wolfloner inclines his ear, listening intently.

[long pause]

Wolfloner asks, "That was the question? Why leave the protectorate status in place at that clearly exacebates the issue?"

Wolfloner says, "If the landing is free then let it be free."

Thandiwe says, "Historically, the protectorate status was put in place because of the War of the Nations due to Hostchib. It is actually to ensure that the Empire does not come in to claim the Landing as their own. The Northern Sentinel ensures the Landing's free status. As a matter of fact, the proposed barony - which I won't get into because we do intend to handle this in an IC story way just as it was introduced - was not claiming the Landing. The Landing was never going to lose its Free status. Some of the land around it was being claimed. The protectorate status is expressly to keep the Empire out of the Landing. This is an important distinction. It also gives them permission to persecute those from the Landing that come to harm or do crimes here. In fact, Bodohal's trial was handled based on the most recent proclomation of Jovery cementing the Landing authority to persecute those offenders."

Auchand says, "The Landing is completely a free entity."

Wolfloner says, "The Empire stating the Landing is free is not freedom. It is way Alendrial was elected mayor. And that was ignored and Alendrial changed her tune from the way she was previously played..."

Auchand says, "The Protectorate status is purely the Empire's promise to respect and enforce that freedom within *their* borders."

Wolfloner asks, "If you are serious about resolving the issue. Why want you remove what the problem is?"

Auchand says, "Or at least, that's how we see it."

Thandiwe says, "As previously mentioned, Wolfloner, anything we do will be part of a storyline. The same way that it was introduced."

Wolfloner says, "I understand we view if very differently."

Auchand says, "I'd say that it's our intent to be consistent about how that status is observed in the future--my understanding is that there are some concerns about that consistency in the past."

Wolfloner says, "You have two groups at odds...."

Wolfloner says, "You have maintained the status quo with a vague promise of enclusion and everyone getting along."

Wolfloner says, "That has not been the practice up to this poin."

Wolfloner says, "This point."

Wolfloner says, "That was the only question I had."

Marstreforn says, "We don't intend to flip a switch out of character and retcon the protectorate status, regardless of if it were to be continued or not. This really isn't the forum to make that distinction, as it would be part of a storyline element if it were to occur at all."

Speaking to Wolfloner, Auchand says, "I get that you're saying we weren't consistent about it in the past. I think we're aligned on what the Protectorate status is meant to mean and we'll work to ensure it's consistent going forward."

Wolfloner says, "Then, in my opinion. You are ignoring the problem. And it will likely continue as it did before."

Wolfloner says, "That was all I had."

Live Question 8, from Hococo

Thandiwe says, "Hococo."

Hococo says, "Quick question - won't someone please think of the centaurs? The clan of centaurs that lived outside of old Darkstone didn't make it to the bleaklands, and are now stuck behind the giant crater where Darkstone used to be. Any chance we can find them a new home in the landing/."

Marstreforn says, "They are all dead. Sorry."

Thandiwe stares off into space.

Hococo wails!

Optheria grins at Marstreforn.

Thandiwe says, "We can get them moved."

Hococo lets out a cheer!

Thandiwe looks over at Marstreforn and shakes her head.

Optheria says, "Undead centaurs."

Auchand says, "We will."

Hococo grins.

Marstreforn lets out a cheer!

Thandiwe carefully asks, "And their cemeteries?"

Auchand says, "They will not be accessible through the Voln Tapestry, but Darkstone now is once more."

Auchand nods.

Optheria beams happily at Auchand!

The dog wanders over to Lylia and sniffs at her suspiciously for a moment.

Auchand stares at Lylia.

Thandiwe asks, "Did you have anything else, Hococo?"

Hococo says, "Thats it! looking forward to "seeing' them again."

Hococo grins.

Thandiwe smiles.

Live Question 9, from Kiyna

Thandiwe asks, "Kiyna?"

Kiyna turns toward Thandiwe and renders a sharp hand salute.

Kiyna says, "Hello all. I open with an obligatory but nonetheless heartfelt thanks for even approaching this issue - the task is Herculean, as I think Auchand pointed out. I have two questions, but they both relate to information-gathering as a player."

Kiyna asks, "Firstly, will the new Landing events be scheduled ahead of time, or more spontaneous, like Kenstrom was a fan of? I realize with several GMs stirring the pot instead of one, there may be more than one approach, but can you comment on that?"

Thandiwe says, "I can answer this..."

Thandiwe says, "To some extent."

Thandiwe says, "We recognized that we are an aging player base and community and that planning is appreciated and wanted. We will be taking both approaches."

Kiyna nods understandingly at Thandiwe.

Thandiwe says, "Now, mind you, the schedule may be vague at times."

Speaking to Thandiwe, Auchand asks, "You can't just do AGE SET 24 CONFIRM?"

Auchand bursts into tears!

Kaonashi nods sympathetically at Auchand.

Thandiwe says, "I think Auchand has MMT, and I post Tales of Solhaven, then then I think Mars sometimes gets pretty detailed."

Marstreforn says, "You stop aging entirely if you eat Helga's stew."

Kiyna says, "I figured that would be the case. To be clear, I like both approaches myself, for different reasons, but more clarity is always appreciated."

Thandiwe smiles at Kiyna.

Kiyna says, "Second question, when Kenstrom was GM, if I wanted to send a letter, I could email him my letter and he would get it. I engaged in such correspondence with some frequency. Is the new paradigm going to be sending in-game mail to individual NPCs? Historically, I found Kenstrom was not great at responding to that, and many GMs means I don't know what the standard approach will be."

Thandiwe asks, "Do you mean IG-Mail or do you mean... like email?"

Kiyna says, "Before, with Kenstrom? Email."

Kiyna exclaims, "I would email the letter and describe the paper and wax seal!"

Kiyna says, "I imagine we could do it with in-game mail now, but that has not been my paradigm."

Thandiwe says, "All communications should be done from an in-character perspective at all times. Please continue to reach out to the NPC via the player mail."

Kiyna says, "There are truly so many NPCs, though, it feels like it would be a lot to check all their inboxes."

Auchand says, "We have some mail tools that will help us see them even if we're not logging into that NPC with regularity."

Auchand nods.

Thandiwe says, "I mean, we have to accept that the personalities we create make connections and it would be disrespectful to not handle it that way."

Kiyna says, "Aha. Good to know."

Kiyna says, "The email approach predated the in-game mail system, of course."

Kiyna says, "Anyway, I think that's all I had."

Thandiwe says, "To address a whisper, I'm strickly speaking of in-character items..."

Thandiwe says, "If you have feedback, then there are multiple avenues to handle that."

Kiyna says, "Thanks again for taking this on."

Thandiwe says, "You can write to FEEDBACK, or you can write to any of the APMs with that feedback."

Marstreforn nods.

Thandiwe says, "We typically discuss it as a group and then address it."

Thandiwe says, "I do want to note, though, that any feedback regarding inter-player issues may get handled without you knowing. You are each paying customers and we can't discuss another player's account with you. That includes addressing issues."

Marstreforn nods.

Live Question 10, from Soliere

Thandiwe asks, "Soliere?"

Soliere nods.

Soliere says, "Thank you. Echoed."

Soliere says, "My issue isn't exactly a Landing issue, but it is... because the only players I"ve seen affected by it were playing in storyline events in the Landing over the past 8 years."

Soliere says, "It's more a "how to integrate newbie players better" so they don't witness a random storyline event where someone is killed, and get the impression they should act that way too."

Soliere says, "In a couple of cases, the newbies were banned. I have no issue with banning... go GMs."

Soliere says, "But in those cases, what went wrong wasn't that these folks were unsubmissive to authority in general."

Soliere says, "They simply didn't understand who was in power (GMs, NPCs, etc)"

Soliere says, "And when it was over, they were really confused."

Soliere says, "I still keep in touch with those folks."

Soliere says, "I wanted to suggest something."

Soliere says, "A storyline Mentor."

Soliere says, "Someone who would join a team solely committed to attending storyline events and being allowed to know who seems brand new (though you can't always know that for sure if the player is new)"

Soliere says, "And they could host regular events as well, summarizing for new folks "how it works"."

Soliere says, "And even summarize the current storyline activity to enrich the game for folks who aren't good readers."

Soliere says, "Of history."

Soliere says, "I think that's all I wante dto say because I'm discord-phobic and it seemed liek a good time."

Soliere says, "Thanks that was all."

Soliere says, "During an event, they could actively check in on "new folks" unless the new folks don't want them involved, even. or not. OK that's really all sorry."

Thandiwe says, "Give me one moment, Soliere."

Soliere nods.

Thandiwe says, "This is a very nuanced problem. We create these pockets of roleplaying in a storyline that is intended to be discussed and shared when we can't be "on screen." We simply can't be involved or available at all times. While we do our level best to share information with you, specifically by utilizing the calendar to share information on meeting times, we also rely on you - the players - to help with that task."

Thandiwe says, "How do we know this is a new player? Just because it's a new account doesn't mean its a new player. I think as players, who want to be involved, there has to be some footwork done by the person that wants to be involved. What we can do is be cognizant of new names showing up and ensuring that we respond to them in a timely fashion."

Thandiwe says, "I'm sorry that the people you mentioned had a hard time. It sounds like maybe the answer was a little tone deaf for them."

Marstreforn removes a drake scythe from in his decorative pin.

Marstreforn leans on his scythe.

Soliere says, "Both were situations that involved warfare and were of a frantic nature."

Thandiwe nods slowly.

Soliere says, "Sometimes a player does get the warning about wartime."

Soliere says, "But sometimes it scrolls by if they have other software running, and they don't see it."

Thandiwe asks, "Yea, I think when justice is off we still have amonster bold when logging into town, right?"

Thandiwe says, "Ah."

Soliere says, "It's really not the GMs fault, I hope that was understood."

Soliere says, "I do believe players can take more responsibility about it though."

Soliere says, "I hesitate to say "we players" when I mean ME."

Soliere says, "Thank you for the well thought answer."

Thandiwe smiles at Soliere.

Wrapup

Thandiwe says, "This is the last chance to ask any questions."

Thandiwe says, "Please JOIN the list."

[long pause]

Thandiwe says, "Okay! Then, please accept my sincerest thanks for coming and answering the survey."

Thandiwe says, "We hope you all have a wonderful night."

Kaonashi nods gratefully.

Kaonashi waves.

Marstreforn nods.

Optheria waves.

Optheria wanders off.

Kiyna exclaims, "Toodles!"

Marstreforn says, "Thanks for being here."

Marstreforn smiles.

Kasgar exclaims, "Thanks GMs!"

Vaemyr says, "Thanks for having this."

Perigourd exclaims, "Much thanks for the time and information!"

Kaonashi pets a skeletal cat, which nuzzles his hand softly.

Regwen says, "Thanks for all the answers."

Marstreforn waves.

Marstreforn wanders away.

Thandiwe smiles.

Thandiwe says, "Have a great night."