Interlude: What Next?

[Raiko]

Ok, so I've been in discussion with Coffee Demon and some of the other "missing players" via PM.

This was started by Coffee asking me if I knew whether Imme, Grafster and Decrepit were still playing.

Sorry for the hold up, at the moment it's looking like those who aren't currently posting are unlikely to resume doing so.

Coffee isn't having the same fun with so many of the original players gone (and with no disrespect intended to all those who've joined in), while the missing players are for the most part missing because real-life is different for them now than when we started.

So what's the best way forward?

Current active players are Laraqua, DSIGFUSS, SuAside, Mr Handy and rbiddle (assuming these delays haven't put him off). However my own enthusiasm is waning somewhat at the thought of figuring how to carry on beyond this chapter without Andrei, Elizabeth, Johnny, etc. Indeed I'm not sure that I'd have resumed the game if so many of the old players hadn't returned.

I'd definitely like to finish the current chapter, things are building towards a climax that should see the London cultists smashed or the investigators slaughtered or possibly both, but is it worth trying to find a way to continue beyond this chapter? If I do carry on I definitely don't want to recruit replacement players for Andrei, Elizabeth, etc. Their story will have to end in London, whether that's a good or bad ending.

I'm determined to run Masks from beginning to end sooner or later, but I'm not sure that it's going to be possible with this incarnation any more. Ive had an absolutely fantastic time and have made some great friends, but with hindsight the game never regained the momentum that it had in the first six months. So I'm unsure what to do now.

@Coffee Demon, Imme, etc: How would you feel about at least finishing the chapter? The current nights events are going to lead to a climatic encounter one way or another. And that encounter would actually I think be a satisfying ending to our story. And I still think the chapter can be completed by June/July, possibly earlier.

[rbiddle]

I'm still around. I'd be up for finishing the chapter out so that at worst case, it can be put on hold at a good spot.

[Mr. Handy]

I definitely want to keep playing, and I do want to see this all the way through. Mr. Bill has a few threads in the Gaslight/Classic forum over on Yog-Sothoth.com about keeping MoN going after a near TPK in London that you might find helpful, though I haven't read them because I'm avoiding spoilers. Massive character death can easily happen from what I hear, and you'd need to find a way to continue after that the same as you would to deal with player attrition. That said, if you decide not to finish it this time and eventually start over, I'd be up for getting in from the beginning.

[Raiko]

That's one thing that I'm interested in knowing, from the players who've recently joined this game. If I was to rap up this story using the rest of the night's events would you be interested in playing from the beginning if I restarted?

I've not made my mind up yet. But I do think that this story can be satisfactorily concluded by finishing the night's events, and that a restart might be easier than trying to move the current game to the "next" location. Unfortunately most of the events / clues that point to locations other than London happened (in real life) back in 2006/2007, the character motivations at the moment are largely tied up with saving themselves and bringing the London cultists to justice, after which they're all actually safe.

[Raiko]

BTW: Thanks Mr Handy, I had a read of the most recent of Bill's threads and his problem was more similar to mine than I expected.

Perhaps I'll play out the rest of the chapter more or less exactly as I planned, and just see where that takes us. It might be easier to provide an incentive to continue the investigation beyond London than I thought.

So my next question is aimed more at Laraqua, DSIGFUSS & Decrepit than the newer players: If Coffee, Imme, and possibly (probably) Grafster drop out and their characters' stories end tonight, would you still be interested in carrying on your own characters' stories or would the fun be gone?

Also would your characters have the motivation? Nethaniel is a friend of Jackson Elias, but the others may lack the personal motivation to look beyond London (as things stand).

[Decrepit]

First, I should apologize for slowing things down. RL things got in the way, and then I was just sort of burned out on everything. I can come back in as you like, starting now, assuming that we'd still be trying to find some way to move forward. If there's a restart, I think I may just bow out if that's all right.

[Raiko]

Well I'm certainly planning to conclude this chapter, which would bring about a satisfying ending (good or bad) I think for those who don't want to carry on.

I'm not sure after that, I guess it depends on how much momentum we can regain. Having my laptop at work is a big help though, I'm no longer intimidated by the prospect of writing long posts at lunchtime.

BTW, I really appreciate it that you joined back in at all, given how busy you were.
No apology necessary. Welcome back.

[SuAside]

That's one thing that I'm interested in knowing, from the players who've recently joined this game. If I was to rap up this story using the rest of the night's events would you be interested in playing from the beginning if I restarted?

I've not made my mind up yet. But I do think that this story can be satisfactorily concluded by finishing the night's events, and that a restart might be easier than trying to move the current game to the "next" location. Unfortunately most of the events / clues that point to locations other than London happened (in real life) back in 2006/2007, the character motivations at the moment are largely tied up with saving themselves and bringing the London cultists to justice, after which they're all actually safe.

Well, right now, I don't actually see the point in giving up on this just yet. I'd like to carry on, but I haven't been reading the other threads so I can't say if anything is moving or lacking there.

As for a reboot... I don't know. Maybe if we get a group together that can make a commitment to posting frequently and long term.

[Mr. Handy]

BTW: Thanks Mr Handy, I had a read of the most recent of Bill's threads and his problem was more similar to mine than I expected.

Perhaps I'll play out the rest of the chapter more or less exactly as I planned, and just see where that takes us. It might be easier to provide an incentive to continue the investigation beyond London than I thought.

So my next question is aimed more at Laraqua, DSIGFUSS & Decrepit than the newer players: If Coffee, Imme, and possibly (probably) Grafster drop out and their characters' stories end tonight, would you still be interested in carrying on your own characters' stories or would the fun be gone?

Also would your characters have the motivation? Nethaniel is a friend of Jackson Elias, but the others may lack the personal motivation to look beyond London (as things stand).

You're welcome. I'm glad those threads were able to help. I'd prefer to keep going beyond London than to start over, but either way I'm in it for the long haul. Jones will be motivated to pursue the leads of this case wherever they take him. I built that into his character background. They don't call him the Bulldog for nothing.

Welsh and I had a similar discussion about Zombie Apocalypse after Chapter 2, shortly before we moved here. We were running low on players at the time, and the game would have died had it remained on the old site. He was in favor of rebooting and expanding it, but I wanted to keep going rather than lose all of our progress up to that point. ZA faced a similar, though less severe, slowdown starting at the end of Chapter 6. Some long-time players dropped out, others have been posting infrequently, and I've been finding it hard to keep up the pace, but I'm determined to keep it moving forward and I'm starting to have a little more time to do so.

[Raiko]

Well it's looking like there's enough interest in keeping things going after this chapter, so I'll forget about a reboot.

I'm try to aim to end the chapter so that if it's a "Happy Ending" then anyone who wants to drop out can do so gracefully with a satisfying ending to their character's story, but with enough plot hooks to allow others to continue. Obviously an "Unhappy Ending" to the chapter would also allow lots of people to bow out if they wished.

@Decrepit & Coffee Demon: As you know, Imme has let me know that she's very busy and can't really stay in the game if she'd need to post more than once per week, and unfortunately that's slower than the pace that's going to be required if we're every going to get through the entire campaign. Grafster has also been extremely busy since Christmas, so I'm very not optimistic that he'll rejoin the game.

Assuming that thing end well for your characters in this chapter, I expect Elizabeth and Johnny will be able return home, if Imme and Graf aren't going to be playing them. I've no intention of getting in replacement players. Unfortunately Andrei and Caroline are so closely tied to Elizabeth that that might be a stumbling block story wise. If either of you wanted to bow out then no problem. If you want to keep playing then we need to discuss it a little either here or via PM to make sure that either I provide a satisfying enough hook to allow your character to stay motivated and follow leads to Africa or China, or that I can provide you with the story hooks you need to bring in a good replacement character.

[coffee demon]

I just left a message for Raiko on Facebook, saying that I'm in for finishing the London chapter then playing it by ear. I'll play it through in character, including any discussions at the end of the London Chapter about what to do next. Whatever happens to Andrei, I'd rather that I made the decision myself. So if he's going to bail out at the end of the London chapter (which I'm not yet sure about), I'll give him a good In-Character reason to do so.

I've had a lot of stuff going on lately, just need to get back in the habit of posting. I promise to do it tonight (i.e. in the next 4-6 hours).

Jay

[imme]

I'm also happy to finish this chapter. It'd be nice to have some sort of conclusion, even if I can't see the game all the way to the end.

I am sorry about having the leave the game, but as I explained to Raiko, my real life looks very different now than it did years ago when we began this and I just don't feel like I can post often enough to keep up with how fast the game should be moving to have the momentum it needs. But I wish you all insanity and death ... er, I mean, I hope you have fun.

[Laraqua]

Timour will doubtless want revenge and be all gung-ho on taking down the cultists wherever they are as he needs a good motive for being epic and Maks'll get dragged along (at least that's how I foresee it). Odds are, though, Timour'll die before anyone else as he's all gung-ho and brave!!!

[Raiko]

Thanks for your replies everybody. It's looking good now that almost everyone will still be playing after London. Which is fantastic.

I've been a little slow posting this week, my new laptop's faulty and had to be returned to get fixed. Unfortunately it'll be away until next Thursday, so I'm back to smartphone posts at lunchtime and 'taking turns' on the other laptop at home (meaning Raiko has to wait until the kids are in bed and Mrs Raiko has finished on Facebook lol)

Still things are moving along ok in both the threads for the non-police investigators, I've just got to make a post to get the Jones/Elizabeth/Johnny thread moving again.