Game Survey

[coniurati]

GAME SURVEY
We have a survey about the game we'd really appreciate it if you guys would participate in. Same as usual, please only vote with one journal if you have multiple journals in the game and you do not need to vote in all sections. If you have no opinion on a section feel free to skip it entirely.

discedo is a very different game now than what it was when it started or even last June. There has been a lot of in-game development, changes in the playerbase, broadening of themes the game was originally meant to encompass and we've been making continuous changes since the end of last August to bring activity back to the game. Now that we feel we have the mod side of the game in order we would like to figure out what direction to take the game in. So, what better way than to get an idea from the playerbase what you like and dislike in the game?

We'd also like to clear up a few longstanding game mechanic issues which will be explained when you hit those questions in the survey. To everyone who participates, thank you for taking the time to fill this out for us! We'd also like to encourage everyone to use this post to discuss the issues in this survey, both with us and with your fellow players. For this week we will enable anonymous and turn off IP logging to allow anonymous for this post. Please don't abuse it.

This poll will close January 28th.

Poll #9192 Game Survey

This poll is closed.
Open to: Access List, detailed results viewable to: Just the Poll Creator, participants: 26

Discedo is...

my main game
8 (30.8%)

one of my games and receives an equal share of my attention
13 (50.0%)

a side game I play in outside of my main game, low on my priority list
5 (19.2%)

The things that motivate me to play in the game are...

my CR
26 (100.0%)

player plots
10 (38.5%)

game events
15 (57.7%)

finding out the story behind game plot
10 (38.5%)

exploring
9 (34.6%)

the survival theme
11 (42.3%)

the slice-of-life setting between plots
18 (69.2%)

If I had to choose one theme for the game to focus on I would prefer:

survival
9 (34.6%)

slice-of-life
7 (26.9%)

horror
5 (19.2%)

exploration
5 (19.2%)

I like game events best when...

they offer strange effects for my character to react to (turning into monsters plot, seven sins plot)
20 (80.0%)

they give roles or tasks for my character to fulfill (dementor plot, pet plot)
10 (40.0%)

they leave a lasting mark on the game afterwards (scientist arrival plot left words written on the walls of Spero)
12 (48.0%)

Other reason I will detail in a comment below
0 (0.0%)

I don't find the game events interesting
0 (0.0%)

How would you feel if Discedo switched to a regulated "experiment day" set-up? This would mean either at the start of the month we would put up a calendar with a list of effects/events that would be in effect on various days (basically like [http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/3388/calendarexamplei.png] but with more of a horror/survival theme) OR we would have the 2nd and 4th weeks of every month be for lowkey plots with the occasional larger overarching game plot replacing one of those.

I like things as they are now
6 (25.0%)

I prefer the calendar set-up
8 (33.3%)

I prefer the alternating weeks set-up
9 (37.5%)

Other preference I will detail in a comment below
1 (4.2%)

How do you feel about the survival theme in the game?

I wish it was enforced more
6 (24.0%)

I wish more was done with it plot/setting-wise
15 (60.0%)

I like things as they are now
9 (36.0%)

I never use it and wish you'd get rid of it
2 (8.0%)

Other preference I will detail in a comment below
1 (4.0%)

Currently we're looking to streamline the chip system so characters aren't required to snag a Doctor character to regain their powers. We have two ideas at the moment. The first one is moving the chip location and putting it in a new location that any character would be able to remove it from if they knew the location without any serious repercussions (ex. beneath the skin of the left forearm). Our other idea is replacing the chip with a power-nerfing bracelet instead. It would be impossible to remove without entering a code into a touchscreen display it would have. Once the code was known in-game characters would be able to pass it around amongst eachother to remove their bracelet with no need for assistance from another character.

I like the current Doctor required set-up
12 (46.2%)

I'd like the chip moved to a location all characters could remove it from
4 (15.4%)

I like the bracelet with the passcode idea
10 (38.5%)

I have another idea I will detail in a comment below
0 (0.0%)

How do you feel about the idea of Discedo having an endgame either in December of this year, some time early 2013 or December of 2013? PLEASE REALIZE THIS IS JUST TO GET A GAUGE OF THE PLAYERBASE'S GENERAL OPINION ON THIS MATTER AND WE WILL MAKE NO DECISION TO HAVE AN ENDGAME WITHOUT A FORMAL DISCUSSION AND POLL AMONGST THE GAME.

I'd like the game to keep going until it peters out no endgame please
7 (28.0%)

I feel the game is going strong enough we shouldn't be thinking of an endgame at this time
11 (44.0%)

I wouldn't mind December 2013
2 (8.0%)

I wouldn't mind some time between January to March of 2013
2 (8.0%)

I wouldn't mind December of this year
3 (12.0%)

The 7 hour train ride between Spero and Discedo is a large in-game hassle we're looking to overcome. Would you prefer...

It was left for players to have their characters fix (by working to speed up the train, create an alternate form of transport, etc)
12 (48.0%)

The 7 hour ride is fine as is don't do anything with it
8 (32.0%)

Mods ran a plot to lower the travel time (unlike the scientist arrival plot characters would not have to work on anything for this plot, the issue would be resolved by outside forces)
5 (20.0%)

How do you feel about the monsters in the game?

I'd like ones that were more suited to the slice-of-life aspect of the game (more farm animals, silly or easy to defeat monsters)
12 (48.0%)

I'd like more horror monsters
9 (36.0%)

I'd like tougher monsters these are too easy for my character
5 (20.0%)

I feel the current roster is fine the way it is
8 (32.0%)

I'd like monsters to continue being added and removed from the game once a month
14 (56.0%)

I'd like more reaction events with the monsters (ex. the current fighting in Dissimulo between the thestrals and the cybernetic horses)
12 (48.0%)

I never use the monsters and wish you'd get rid of them
1 (4.0%)

Comments

[travelin_on]

Seconding what Molly said here.

A few years back when I had Ace in the game, even if the Blizzard ran pretty long for most, I got SO MUCH awesome story with it. Ace hadn't had his chip out yet and ran around giving people food he stole from another character (Who'd earlier gloated about having so much food and laughed at the others for starving) And he ended up getting hypothermia and had to be saved.

A-anyway that's just an example, not saying all survival plots should be extreme life or death but we often forget about supplies (OGOD WE RAN OUT OF TOILET PAPER!!111), water, ELECTRICITY, HEAT, PLUMBING??(do we even have that?) things I think a lot of players take for granted. And IDK if they're taken away temporarily for something plot wise(meaning they could fix it or get it back) then it would raise more awareness maybe? Or at least it would be an element still in game. (Among other survival stuffs)

Dean is a lot more likely to whine about human comforts (cause even places they squatted in had MOST things or they could at least GET things they needed anywhere (food, toilet paper, toothpaste, etc.) So just using my guy as an example it could easily get him active.

On that note, for what you said about asking scientists for a chip removal. I would be happy to volunteer Dean to set that idea in motion if we go with it? He's already successfully asked, had contact and received something from the scientists. I could easily see him speaking out to talk to them again and he could potentially ask about the chip and stuff!!

That is... if it's something you guys really want to do? DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ME of course, but it'd be fitting if no one else would like to step up and help with the idea? That way the Scientists don't have to publicly announce that they'll help, since you said that would be too far-fetched. If Dean talked to them about it and had his deactivated (though I'm not sure how he'd TEST that theory, maybe with the word fish??) he'd definitely spread the word.

As far as the plot calendar thing, I LIKE the idea of having all those little things and a big plot too, but I think doing it EVERY MONTH, let alone FIVE every month, is a bit much? I wonder if there'd be a way to spread it out more maybe? Unless that's what you meant by splitting it up every second and fourth week?

All in all I like the little silly things too. Like the Mistletoe and almost MEME kind of shenanigans happening to players. Again, back to the well roundedness of HORROR, SURVIVAL and FLUFF/CR/AMUSEMENT. Also, back to back horror, survival, dark and depressing plots get to be a bit much after a while. So backing them with something fluffy, funny or fun is always a good buffer for heavy, harder plot.

Endgame...

I'm not against it? I'm not supporting it either? I mean you guys are making some great progress so unless you WANT an endgame then I'd say keep truckin! Otherwise, if an endgame is something you guys want to do then I'm for whatever.

[tenthousandyears]

I remember what Ace did and there were some people who did other things (America and his horse for example), but we also had a mass survival plot last summer and there just didn't seem much interest. As well as the Scientist arrival plot. I don't mind throwing out survival plots, but I don't want to get pushy with the YOU WILL DIE/LIFE WILL BE HARD AND SUCK if no one's interested in playing with it. Like I said we'll try and be creative, but there really is only so many ways you can spin survival.

And well we list supplies on the settings page and the heat/electricity/etc is listed for every residential building on the rooming list. So that's half of what we can do right there. I know survival can lead to really fun things, but we can't make anyone play with it. Which same goes for fixing things. There just doesn't seem to be much interest in it. We've had two subway fix plots and Washu initiated a hydroelectric plant fix plot and there really just did not seem to be any interest.

I don't want to break the plumbing if no one wants to fix it for example. I know a year and a half ago it was different with the IC construction crew always popping back up somehow, but that's a year and a half ago.


Calendar-wise it'd honestly depend on what kind of events we had. If we had one event be ants are getting into everything and another insomnia would you not want any other events for the month? The alternating weeks thing is an alternate set-up we could also do meaning there would be a designated two plots a month and they would take place on those designated two weeks.

Far as game genre goes it was actually requested in the past that crack events be kept to holidays. So... I don't mind changing the game genre though so it's not horror/survival the majority of the time, though I wouldn't want to do it if the majority of the game apped in for horror obviously. That doesn't seem to be the case though so we'll probably be changing in February.


Endgame question was more because I know there are players in the game who want to stick with it till the end, but are frankly waiting for it to finally end. Also we don't seem to have any modding interest. I'm stepping down in March and Ash, Maresuke and Jenna all have lives. Currently I plan to cut down on some things to make it easier, but without some others stepping up all we can do is keep lessening what goes on in the game to make sure what the mod team does do is delivered in a timely manner.


FINALLY for the chip question I believe I came up with a way to do Molly's idea without the extra NPC, thank you though ♥