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[ confidential contact ]
If you have any issues regarding the game, the mods, or other players, please contact us! We want to ensure that your time here is an enjoyable one and will do whatever we can do to help if possible. There are several ways to contact us:
Mod email: empatheias.mods@gmail.com
Comment to this entry
PM the journal
The mods are as follows:
Laena
Steve
Please do not contact mods individually regarding game issues! By keeping player concerns on the mod account, we are better able to keep track of them and respond in a timely manner.
If you are submitting your concern via e-mail or to this entry, please fill out the following form:
All comments are screened and our responses to your comments will also be screened, so we can communicate through the entry if preferred. Everything will also remain confidential, but if another party is involved please realize that we will have to disclose some information if we have to contact them. We'll always double check before doing so, but please keep that in mind and make a note if there is anything you are uncomfortable with sharing.
We will try to be as fair as possible and do as much research and as many discussions as needed.
Responses will be given within 72 hours. In the case that we haven't responded to your query past this time, please send us a message! Thank you.
Mod email: empatheias.mods@gmail.com
Comment to this entry
PM the journal
The mods are as follows:
Laena
Steve
Please do not contact mods individually regarding game issues! By keeping player concerns on the mod account, we are better able to keep track of them and respond in a timely manner.
If you are submitting your concern via e-mail or to this entry, please fill out the following form:
All comments are screened and our responses to your comments will also be screened, so we can communicate through the entry if preferred. Everything will also remain confidential, but if another party is involved please realize that we will have to disclose some information if we have to contact them. We'll always double check before doing so, but please keep that in mind and make a note if there is anything you are uncomfortable with sharing.
We will try to be as fair as possible and do as much research and as many discussions as needed.
Responses will be given within 72 hours. In the case that we haven't responded to your query past this time, please send us a message! Thank you.
no subject
While we appreciate all concerns that come to us and are happy to work with players, the hostility, language, and accusations used in your comment are unnecessary. Citing anon communities as source for support is also not seen as credible due to the questionable nature of anonymous in such locations. However, to be clear: if anonymous concerns are made in designated posts such as this, then we will of course take them with as much seriousness as warranted.
To your concern about the upcoming Thras event in particular, it should be noted that we always give smaller, detailed "previews" in our bi-monthly mod announcements with the more complete details at a time closer to the event. Thus for this event, the full details will be released later this weekend. Overall the event's reception has been positive, but we are well aware that not everyone will like an event at any given time. Along with your concern, we have had only one other person approach us directly about the event, and we're taking it all into consideration. What we are about to say is similar to what we told them.
It can be said that it is true that at least on the onset, the event definitely has a lighter atmosphere to it in comparison to previous Arehtei related events. We wouldn't call it "crack," but we can see how it might look that way as we were trying to imply a more "fun" kind of atmosphere and tone. For that we apologize if that has caused misunderstandings about the event. We can also see how the "character roles" concept is a bit confusing as well as misleading, so hopefully the upcoming details will help ground it a bit more. We also would like to go ahead and clarify that the actual event itself is more serious with more meat. It will have that "adventure quest" type feel, and while there will be dangers, it won't be as dire or dangerous as the past events.
As to whether there will be more events like this, we cannot say. They won't be common, and all of our events have ties to the lore and going-ons of the game. But there's always the possibility of another event in the future if it seems fitting. We are already making sure that the event is as grounded as is originally intended, but if after the event there are still issues, we will look at ensuring that there is a better balance for the future.
As for now, we will definitely keep in mind of the tone and perception of future event descriptions so such misunderstandings are avoided.
no subject
As we said in our above reply to the previous anon, we recognize that our events won't satisfy all players. We do try to design them so that the majority will enjoy them, but we include opt-outs or opt-ins because we also realize that there will be those who will not want to participate for whatever reason. This will be especially more common due to this event having a certain mechanic to it rather than it being a general event like most of the others. Because of this, we also realize that, like you, some may feel left out. That's not our intention and we do try to make events encompass as many players as possible, but the truth is it's impossible. What you may like or think would make for a fun event may make a different person be in the same spot you are now.
Then there is the OOC/IC issue. Even if 100% of the playerbase thinks an event is fun, what their characters may think will be different due to the varying personalities. The only way we can have participation in that situation is if it's forced—and that's not something we want to do unless the game situation itself forces that scenario. In this case, Thras is in a much better place compared to Elios and Sosyne, and Peromei probably had the best "middle" when it came to being forced ICly but easily to opt out OOCly. But there were issues in that case as well, with some players still unable to participate due to their characters not having an IC reason to be in that location. Thus, there will always be differing opinions and hangups from both ends, unfortunately.
Now, we have an honest and earnest question that we would like to ask you, and hopefully you will see this. It does seem that a lot of the problem comes from the use of character creation. Just so you know how this event came to be, it was actually based off a player suggestion and, to be clear, it wasn't anyone from the mod team. Te original scenario had the hero-captive plotline, but Thras would have been more of a cartoony villain if his "fear" threshold was higher (he wouldn't be cowardly, but he would be fed up with all the fear and would try to invoke more courage and bravery). Since this event clearly already has an "RPG" vibe, the use of a "party system" was also already conceived although the use of actual roles was yet to be determined/implemented. We have since altered the game's storyline so that the original idea was tweaked a little to fit more with the game's current situation, but as you can see it hasn't changed too much.
You used the term "meta" and we are assuming you mean the use of the d20 system as a reference system and the rulebooks handed out. Putting the character creation aspect aside, is that the part that you don't like or are you opposed to the entire event itself? To also clarify, we only used that kind of system because we thought it would help players more easily understand rather than try to construct a system of our own, and the rulebooks that Thras is handing out isn't explicitly the same as a tabletop RPGs. They are really just his rules/instructions for the challenge and he wants those participating to play certain roles in the sense of battle position and not necessarily character.
That said, we can see how the use of the word "character" can give different implications, and we also compared it to an LARP, but that might not have been correct to do so either. The real point was the role or "class" of the character, not so much creating some kind of personality or backstory. If that's the case, we can definitely clarify that once more in the November announcement since we need to post a summary of the details for newer players regardless. If players (or characters) want to create a different persona, that would still be doable, but not required. Ultimately, we do not mean that Thras is playing tabletop RPGs.
Hopefully this addresses the issue, or at least is a better whack at it. We do put the character and player base into account when devising events. But we can at least try so that even if there's one part you might not like, there could be something else that could provide better enjoyment for you. If this is an issue of personal preference, however, then unfortunately we cannot say that we will be able to fulfill them, especially since this isanonymous and we have no idea how we could cater events to better fit your character and preferences. But again, we hope this helps a little more.
no subject
We were actually alerted about this earlier and have since taken action! However, thank you also for kindly informing us.
no subject
Regarding the number of representatives for the Arehtei, from the initial announcement, we said there would be a maximum of two. That was not to imply that there would be a guarantee of two, so if that is one cause of misunderstanding, we apologize. The other thing we mentioned was that we would primarily base all selections on what the Arehtei would themselves think, and that is what we have done here.
First, we'd like to say that in general, the ones that were chosen were ones we believed would be most compatible to the Arehtei in terms of characterization, personality, and how they handle their emotions. The latter involves details that only we are aware of due to plot relevance, so it might not be so obviously clear at first, but it would make sense later on.
Everything below was saved to be ICly explained should characters ask, but since there seems to be actual concern, we'll go ahead and explain.
For Aiada, without going into too much plot detail, the Arehtei themselves do not think she would need two representatives for now. One should be enough. Keep in mind that it was essentially Elios, Thras, Daimonia, and Peromei who made the decisions for Aiada and Piphron, so they also know more about her than the public. In that same vein, Piphron received two because they believe he would need that extra help. This is also implied Elios's recent announcement, who also asked for pretty much everyone aligned to Piphron to offer help.
For Daimonia, the Arehtei prefers just one. In the past, she had one had one such person of similar position, so she is more accustomed to it. Should a character ask her directly, she would respond with exactly this with maybe a bit more elaboration, but that's the essence of it.
To make this answer complete, for Elios, if he had more than two he would have been more selective. But since he liked both and thought the two chosen could benefit from the roles, he stuck with both. For Sosyne, she needs two to help handle her and she chose the ones that actually would put up more of a fight. Peromei is in a similar state where two would be better for her, otherwise, one could have sufficed. Again, the two chosen were ones that best worked with her current state and personality. One could have sufficed for Thras as well, but he's more of an equal opportunity type and wasn't too serious with his own challenges. Again, it boiled to Thras's preferences.
In regards for backups to fill in the open slots, for Aiada, it's possible if another is actually necessary. When she actually appears, she may consider it or she may stick with one. For Daimonia, due to her own reasoning, it's less likely unless 1) Shun the character is unable to handle it; 2) Shun's player is unable to handle it on her own.
We hope this answers your questions.
no subject
So it will be useful going forward!
no subject
We currently have no plans to institute a cap on casts. A cap on applications has always been on the table, though we have yet reached the point where we think it necessary. There has certainly been a spike in applications recently, but we attribute it to recent games closing and a lot of new big popular media releases. We expect it to normalize within the next month or so.
We are also curious as to why you believe the larger casts are "running" the game. It is very true that many cast members are active and thus will have a larger presence because of said activity, but we have yet to see them try to take any sort of plot control. If your concern is about the recent player plot, we do not see any issue as it encourages other members of the community to participate. It would be an entirely different matter if they were always closed plots, but we have yet to see that.
All players and casts are welcome to create their own large player plots like the ones that have been presented so far. If no one chooses to do so, then it is not the fault of those who do.
no subject
Yes it is. All thoughts, including dreams, memories, and any other streams of consciousnesses can carry through the amulets. This can happen on purpose or even accidentally, in private or public conversation, and all variations have happened in the game in some point in time. That isn't to say this happens all the time, but it can happen.
no subject
We would like to first say that we never meant for any offense in how the nominations for the flower festival are set. Nominating both genders for both roles is allowed and has always been for past festivals. Women are just as allowed to sign up for the "King" slot as they are the "Queen" slot as well, so we do not feel that this is giving male characters an unfair advantage. Given how well received it's always been and for ensuring gender neutrality, we also do not plan on restricting nomination genders in the future.
However, upon review of the instructions we can see where it may not have been as clear and will remedy this.
no subject
RE: ORDER OF EVENTS
We actually do switch the timing of our events around between middle of the month and end of the month. It usually just depends on the substance and whatever may be happening at the time. In fact, we do prefer having our events within the 3rd week of the month as opposed to the 4th for the very same concerns you mentioned. This past month was more of an exception, and this month's Helisium is just a festival with no plot relevance for people to worry about. That said, even though we have a temporary TBD date listed for it, it is much more likely that we'll be bumping it up a few days so it's hitting the tail end of the 3rd, which would still give an additional week and a half, maybe two, before the intros go up.
RE: TDM
This is admittedly a very new, different, and interesting complaint that we've never heard before. The TDM is scheduled as it is so that prospective applicants have time to sample the game's setting before committing to reserve. We never envisioned TDM's to be holding a "big spot" in the game's schedule, either. From our perspective, the TDM is an avenue more for new applicants to focus on whereas for veterans it would be more secondary. It actually shouldn't be seen as something akin to an event or something to be scheduled around. From a game perspective, it should be seen more like a meme that could be randomly thrown up and be set in the background. This is especially so if there's an event going on. TDM shouldn't be having focus, and if players are doing that, then that's a different problem unrelated to scheduling. In addition, as mentioned before, we do have events that are sometimes held at the same time as the current TDM schedule, and we've never had a complaint regarding the timing of them together. It's a system that's been in place for the past three years, and again this is the first time we've heard of anyone thinking that the schedule of it is somehow conflicting with tagging priorities.
Also, just a side note about accepted TDM threads for AC—that won't be in play until August, and we will only accept them IF over half of their AC is from the game proper and the TDM thread is essentially for emergency only. It can't be used to remove strikes and it can't be used twice in a row. We'd also notice if a player is constantly relying on TDM threads for AC, so we wouldn't just let that slide, either.
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So in conclusion, for events we are already mindful of the scheduling and have them mostly closer to mid-month, but we will definitely make sure to try and time things to accommodate with the slowing pace of DWRP in general. As for the TDM, unless we hear complaints from more people or see it actually having a detrimental issue because of its timing, we see no need to change the current schedule. If we see in the upcoming months that what you claim really is true and there's a lot of support to change the TDM schedule, then we will definitely consider. But for now, it will remain as is.
no subject
"Is there a reason August applications were not open for a full week as originally promised?"
Unfortunately, in the shuffle of losing our head mod and gaining a new mod team we messed up a bit and defaulted to our normal 4 day schedule. Our later mod posts written describe having only 4 days for the August cycle, including both our May mid-month and August 1st announcement, so we went with that. The 4 day cycle is mentioned on the apps and reserves page, but we understand that not everyone checks these things all the time. Apologies for the confusion created on our part!
no subject
While the cast you're speaking of is not the biggest cast in the game, we understand that there is worry over certain casts dominating the game. We certainly hope that that isn't the case, and we have not seen any concerns or evidence as of yet, which is why there is not currently a cast cap. Should this be an issue moving forward, we would be happy to discuss it with the rest of the playerbase.
If you have any specific concerns about larger casts seeming to take over the game, please let us know!
no subject
First off, we appreciate you coming to us with your concerns. While we do not feel that instituting a cast cap is necessary at this point in time, we would like to make it clear that we are receptive to player feedback and would also like to address the specific concerns you have brought to our attention.
With regards to your concern that large casts will deter players from tagging out, activity is actually monitored very closely, with insular behavior and exclusively tagging castmates being among the things we look for. We can and do address this behavior when we see it, as we also want to see players engaging with the game at large. In addition, we realize that another concern may be that large casts have the potential to dominate plot, which is also something we are mindful of and keep watch for.
Overall, Empatheias is a very open game. Events, excursions, exploration and tasks are all open for anyone to participate in, and there are no limited slots for any single cast to fill up or keep other characters from having the chance to participate. In addition, there is no overall player or character cap, and therefore no overall set of slots that can be filled or held. The game has had several large casts over the years, and we are aware that there are currently several consisting of ten characters or more. Considering that we do keep a watchful eye on both activity and plot involvement, we don't feel that there is a need for a cast cap at the moment. However, if there are further concerns from more players in the future, we would be willing to poll the playerbase at large for their feedback on this matter.
Your concerns have been noted and are being kept in mind!
no subject
Your concern has been noted, investigated and addressed. Please let us know if you have any further questions or concerns!
no subject
First and foremost, thank you for your feedback. We have also noted the shift in the game’s tone, and believe there are a number of contributing factors, although primarily we believe last fall’s State of the Game to have been responsible, as there was a great deal of player input concerning the game being too heavy or serious at the time. Some of the shift in tone may be a bit of an overcorrection in response to that, and in addition, we have been making an effort to stagger heavier, plot-revealing or high-volume events with lighter mini-events. Excursions, plot events and the annual festivals see a lot of traffic, and the intention of the mini-events in between was to give players something to do while also trying to avoid making players feel obligated to participate and thus burn out on events.
The Defying Gravity event was intended to be a fun anti-gravity event on the surface, with the option for players to handle things much more seriously if they chose to, with an emphasis on the fact that there were no serious injuries or damages done in the log itself. In hindsight, we can see how that might not have come through, and we apologize to those who feel we should have handled it differently. We have more than one serious event approaching, and were attempting not to overload the playerbase beforehand. Admittedly, it can be difficult to find the right balance of an event, large or small, that will appeal to everyone, but the option to take a more serious route is always there, especially given how central a role emotions play in the game world. We apologize if the potential gravity of the event (pun not intended, but…) was not communicated effectively in its execution. We will continue trying to find the right equilibrium moving forward!
Regarding your concerns about the task board, we took some time to go through the last few months worth of hunts, and see where serious characters may be having trouble. While the hunt marks themselves are still very dangerous, we can see how the tone might be off-putting. Most of them have some pretty vicious game mechanics built in for characters who like to live on the edge, such as the Montimoags’ ability to force characters to experience unpleasant memories or the Putrumps’ poison, if the difficulty of the hunt marks provided was a part of the concern. The NPCs behind writing the tasks are meant to provide flavor, but if this is making it too difficult for characters to make use of (we can see how some characters might not be able to take such postings as a legitimate job they would like to spend their time on), it can certainly be addressed. Additionally, if the mentions of edibility were part of the concern as well, they have been included per player request for characters who like to make sure their kills don’t go to waste, but we are already discussing alternatives with how to present that information.
We hope that you feel your concerns have been heard and are being taken into serious consideration! Again, thank you for taking the time to communicate with us. If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to let us know!
no subject
We understand your concern, and we would like to help you. We also understand that you would prefer to keep your identity hidden, but for us to take any action, we would like to ask for examples and instances in which this player has made you feel uncomfortable, as well as any evidence of stating your preferences and the player ignoring said preferences.
That said, thank you for bringing this up to us, and we will take note of this for future reference, should further complaints be made.
no subject
There are currently no plans to alter the game’s established schedule. The test drive is posted one week before reserves open and two weeks before apps open every month. This consistency has worked well for the game for the entirety of its run, and we continue to get a healthy number of apps during each round. If we should feel that a change in the schedule is necessary, we will poll the playerbase for their input.
As for linking the TDM on rpanons, we can make a note to have a member of the mod team do so when the TDM is posted each month.
no subject
Thank you for bringing your concern to us! Mingle-style posts have always been allowed since the beginning of the game so long as they are marked OOC-ly as such. Guidelines regarding this can be found here under "Open Conference Messages".
We have clarified network usage in a previous announcement. We've yet to approach a player personally regarding their usage of the network.
If there is anything unclear with the guidelines regarding the amulets and communication, or if you have other concerns, please let us know!
no subject
Thank you for bringing these constructive feedback to us. These are definitely things we are working on to better, so we'd like to thank you for your patience!
Rest assured that these points have been heard and we are definitely working on making the game more enjoyable for everybody. Thank you for staying for as long as you have, and we hope that the plans we have set in the future will be enjoyable for you and the rest of the community.
no subject
Our response will be unscreened as you contacted us anonymously.
First of all, thank you for bringing your concerns to us! This wouldn't be the first time we've received feedback regarding the schedule, that majority of our events are late in the month. At the same time, when we have tried to set our events earlier on in the month, we also received complaints such as new characters not having enough time to get used to the setting, and in line with that, players both new and old have a difficult time balancing their threads when they would wish to participate in both intro logs and the events. In addition, there is a great deal of work and writing that goes on throughout the month behind the scenes. As such, we have decided to host events closer to the end of the month.
We do not require characters to finish their threads by the end of the month, despite having posted the event 5-7 days prior to it. We do, however, expect our players to adhere our requirements with regards to activity. The number of comments we require for activity is only 10 for an entire month, split into at least two threads, where the thread presented as proof must at least have two comments from the player. We wholeheartedly believe that Empatheias' AC is easy to achieve. Even for players who aren't able to tag every single day, 30 days is ample time to be able to produce at least ten comments across two threads. As mods, we also encourage players to play with the world of Empatheias and not just participate in events. This is why every month we have a new task board, a unique intro log, and we have even provided an IC calendar the last several months to serve as extra prompts for people to use should they need help coming up with ideas throughout the month. Players are not limited to making activity during the events and those alone. In fact, we encourage everybody to make activity early. There is much that can be done in Empatheias, and therefore, players should be able to have something to post or thread about regardless of when events go live.
With regards to your concern about this month's event, we will maintain what we have announced. Threads from this month's event will not count for activity in April. It may be borderline, but due to a number of contributing factors, the date of this event's log was a rare exception from the usual schedule.
Thank you!
no subject
While we do our best to write a wide variety of prompts in order for different character types to take part in them, if you see a lack of certain kinds of prompts or have any ideas for the task board, intro log, or even the TDM, you are more than welcome to suggest these ideas via this post. The team who works on prompts can't properly assess what the community needs without feedback, after all!
It is not the mod team's intention to punish players when we schedule our events during the last week of the month. We certainly don't wish for players to feel pressured to tag quickly, either! We suggest getting in touch with your fellow players to plot what may happen in your threads if you think it may impact future threads and the like. If the concern is how CR is affected, we believe this is something to be discussed between fellow players. Unfortunately, as for the game moving on before threads can be finished, this issue is not something we can control. Our game runs on a 1:1 IC:OOC day ratio, and we do not see any need to change it any time soon. We hope you understand where we're coming from as moderators and players of the game, as well.
We apologize if you feel as though you have to make a choice between participating in events and making activity early. However, we do believe that our limited requirements, the size of the game, and the number of open entries typically posted are more than enough for the sake of activity even outside of events.
Intro logs and events being posted with only one or two weeks in between has caused issues in the past with new players, as they are usually very busy with their intro threads for that period of time, judging by the general trend we have seen in activity. Posting events much earlier than we currently do would feel unfair for them and to those who tag into the intro logs to be able to participate in the game to the fullest. As such, we have endeavored to make sure that major game developments are spread out in order to make them accessible to all players, old and new.
We do appreciate the suggestion of making the intro logs more event-like, however, and we hope we can implement something similar in the future.
We hope we've aptly responded to your concerns!
no subject
Thank you for coming to us with your concerns! We don't disagree, as our rules are there for a reason, and we will be bringing this up with the players in question in the hopes of remedying the issue. If you do not see a change in the behavior in the future, please feel free to come to us and we will do our best to resolve it.
no subject
Our response will be unscreened as you contacted us anonymously.
Currently the mods all reside in different time zones with varying work schedules and things may be posted while mobile or otherwise on the go, in an attempt to have them available at the regular time. As such, our priority is to get posts such as the test drive up and plurked, while things like crossposting to other comms, such as rpanons, take a lesser priority due to our respective schedules, and can be done later that day or the next day, depending on availability.
As rpanons is an open community with no posting requirements, if this delay is a pressing issue for you, there is nothing stopping you from linking the TDM anonymously, as we are not aware of any requirement that it must be posted from the mod journal. What we would ask though is that you please refrain from commenting here if the TDM is not crossposted immediately.
We have been concerned about the tone and wordage of these reminder comments, as they often come across as aggressive. The second rule of the game is to be respectful of one another, which includes communication between mods and players. Should this continue, we may be forced to take action that could limit the use of confidential contact as further comments of this sort could be considered abuse of anonymity.
no subject
Regarding the first two issues discussed, we trust that our players are conscientious enough to keep track of the date and time zone differences themselves without mod input. We have also stated plainly in our Activity Check posts, in bolded and red text, what our expectations are regarding what is valid activity or not based on the date, and feel that this is an adequate reminder in itself.
Regarding the last issue, we still stand by our previous statements. We believe that our players are capable of communicating about unfinished threads with their thread partners, and do not feel this is a mod responsibility, as further policing of activity would feel like a stretch of our 'authority' as well as extremely difficult logistically. Please note that we do keep track of extremely limited dropped threads that are submitted to activity check, and that we act accordingly in requesting remedial activity from those who show this behavior repeatedly.
When judging activity, we are mainly concerned that players are keeping up with current events in the game and playing in the month we are checking activity for, and we feel we have already granted enough lenience in allowing threads from previous months at all. To grant any further exceptions would not only put more work on us to create more rules to make sure they couldn't be taken advantage of, but also make activity check more complicated both for players and for the mods who check activity.
Because of these reasons, we do not currently see any reason to change our activity rules. However, if you have any other concerns or questions, please let us know and we'll do our best to address them!
no subject
There are many reasons for us to reject or question a player's activity; for example, consistent thread dropping, minimum thread length, last minute proofs, etc. Whether a post is minimum effort and clearly just for AC is definitely a point for consideration, especially if it's always last minute or threads are constantly dropped. But whether the content adds to the game or not is not a path we want to go down on. Sometimes simple or pointless posts can be just as engaging as well thought out ones.
Thus while we can't make judgment on your particular concern right now, we can say that we will consider everything regarding a player's activity and will take steps when necessary.