route_29 | BRING US YOUR FEEDBACK!

FEEDBACK POST: YEAR THREE EDITION

Hey, Routers! Things have been pretty eventful for the game over the past few months, and we've seen a fair number of changes along the way — the introduction of EV News, the extra-detailed badge acceptances, the experiment with making the Gym Leaders more interactive for the playerbase, and a handful of big plots, including our recent Glitch Plot, Fourth Wall, and of course, the game's big three-year anniversary! But with all of that excitement finally reaching something of a lull for the moment, we on the modteam would really like to check in with you, the players, and get your feedback on how the game experience has been for you so far, and what you'd like to see out of us in the future.

Beneath the cut, we've got a fairly detailed survey we'd like to ask you to fill out, to let us know how we've been doing on a handful of topics, and to get your input on what new things we might attempt, modify, or outright change in the future! When filling it out, please feel free to be as specific or general as you like; we'd prefer specifics, as those tend to be more helpful to us as a team, but please don't feel bound to strictly answer every question if a more general answer will do. Likewise, if there's something you'd like to tell us that isn't covered with the survey, please feel free! This post is here for your thoughts and feedback on Route, and to open up channels of communication with us to answer questions and discuss what might be in store for the game from here on out.

Once you've filled out the survey, please also feel free to make subsequent comments to this post with other topics you might like to discuss with us or with your fellow members of the playerbase! However, please keep in mind that this is NOT an HMD post, nor will we be tolerating any bickering in the comments. It's fine to disagree, but please keep any disagreements civil and discussion-focused; we reserve the right to step in and halt discussion if we feel the conversation is no longer productive, or dissolving into an argument as opposed to a healthy debate.

Also, please keep in mind that while we value your opinions and want to take them into consideration as we move the game forward, we must also as moderators exercise our own personal judgment in determining what will be best for the game. Some suggestions, however popular among the playerbase, simply may not be feasible from a moderator standpoint — and if we do feel that way, we'll try to explain why, but ultimately this discussion comes with the caveat that not everyone is going to get what they want. So please be patient and understanding with us as we try to do our best for the game and for you!

Note: ANONYMOUS COMMENTING IS ENABLED! (For real this time!) We want to encourage honesty here, so please feel free to go anon if it makes you more comfortable. Just please don't abuse the privilege!

FILL OUT THIS FORM FOR US, PLEASE

A BRIEF GUIDE TO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

PLOTS:
• How many plots have you been in Route for (approximately)? None? One? Several?
• How have you generally felt about our plots so far?
• Of the two listed, which type of plot do you tend to prefer?

-- An objective-based plot, where participants are given a specific action to react to and/or a goal to achieve, possibly with the outcome of the plot dependent on the players' actions
-- An effect/condition plot, where participants are given a setting change, scenario, or other character condition and generally left to their own devices with what to do about it

For previous Route examples, our Spring Cleaning plot from last year was an "objective-based" plot, while this year's Prom and Glitch events were "effect/condition" ones.

• What would your ideal plot do? For example, "bring all the characters together in one place" the way that Prom did; "give my character Pokemon powers" the way that Outbreak did; "let me move my character freely around the map" the way that the Glitch plot did, etc.

GENERAL UPKEEP:
• Do our infopages generally do their job of providing you with all the information you need on a daily basis? Is anything confusing? Is anything missing?
• Is there anything you think we're in need of updating?
• Is there anything you think we need to change?

MODS:
• How have your experiences been with us as mods? Are you generally happy with us as a modteam? What do we do well? What can we improve upon?
• Please also feel free to address feedback to any of us individually!

FUTURE:
• If you could change any one aspect of Route, what would it be and why?
• Is there anything within the setting of the game itself you would like to see implemented, changed or removed? (I.E. open up a new region, GIVE US THE ELITE FOUR ALREADY, etc.)
• Is there any plot in particular you would like to see us do in the future? Be as general or specific as you like!

ANYTHING ELSE:
• Please use this section to let us know anything else you feel is important!

We'll be doing our best to keep up with the discussion as it unfolds, but if you have a question or the need to get hold of us (or one of us specifically), feel free to use the PING-A-MOD thread included in the comments to flag us down!

Thanks again for all your input and cooperation, Route, and we're really looking forward to hearing from you!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

PLOTS:

a) I got here shortly after October in 2012, so I've been in Route for about eight months at this point (probably a bit over). The first "event" I saw was a 4th wall. There was then the Christmas Armageddon thing, with shiny eggs thereafter, and then prom, then another fourth wall and the glitch, etc. You know these! They were pretty recent.

b) I generally enjoy them! Route's playerbase is always really fun to play with, and I've never had a bad event experience yet. I like seeing what everyone does with everything.

c) I acutally like both in most games. I can't say for Route, since I've actually only been involved with effect/condition plots, apparently! That said, I'd definitely like the chance to participate in the other sort.

d) I'm not sure! I'm pretty easily pleased. I do like the idea of ten years later, which some people have mentioned, but I also think that I would really enjoy any plot that gave characters more information, or to manage to actually BE AROUND and not with a broken laptop during an event with more interactive gym leaders.

GENERAL UPKEEP:

a) Generally! I'd appreciate if "badges" were added to the navigation for route_29, because that's how I generally navigate, but that's...not a big deal and only needs a few extra clicks? And since that's the only thing that I've ever run up against, I guess I have nothing constructive to say here!

b) The pages are generally pretty up-to-date, and if I notice something isn't, I'll typically just drop a comment pointing it out, so idk!

c) Not anything that NEEDS to change, really.

MODS:

I've always had only good experiences with the mods! I speak to several of the mods through plurk on a daily basis, but that's not typically on a player-to-mod basis so much as a player-to-player basis so I don't know if that counts! I always enjoy speaking to everyone on a casual level, and talking about whatever's happening, but yeah.

When I do contact someone in their modly capacity, they're always quick to help me out with whatever I'm asking about or to point me in the right direction. And the few times I've been contacted by a mod for whatever reason it's always been really well handled (though admittedly I have only been contacted for things along the lines of "Lucy, do you have all your cast added on plurk and can you put them in contact with me for dj shenanigans" SO).

I think things are generally handled really well, and I feel perfectly happy with the current mod team! I feel comfortable going to whomever happens to be on/around, and I think all the mods seem really honestly into the game, which is great!

In terms of personal feedback, I'd like to give props to Muffin for the detailed badge requests again (I love reading them) and to Alex for the EV News things, and to our head mods for the overall way things are handled!

FUTURE:

a) More part-time job options and/or more "job" options ala traner/breeder/rocket. Like ranger and so on, maybe, could be interesting, although I understand that would probably be a chore to implement. I don't think the part-time one would be as much of a chore, at least? :|a I honestly am not sure what to put here because I like the game as it is, although I'm willing to roll with whatever changes come along! I think someday in the future other regions could be interesting, but I know people think the game is a bit spread out as is.

b) ...I didn't read this part in detail before I answered, UH. I think a new region would be interesting, as I said! Also maybe more rocket plots (I haven't really been through any save Bowser's antics) or npc plots that aren't centered on legendary pokemon?

c) Time shenanigans has my vote, or an armageddon/issue that people have to really actively get involved in to solve! That could be really fun to play out.

ANYTHING ELSE:

I have nothing to add!

Edited (my html skillz rock (not)) 2013-06-16 02:28 (UTC)

I DIDN'T WANT TO DISABLE REDD FROM EDITING THAT COMMENT, SO.

1) I also would like to see more Rocket things, and -

2) I SUPER WOULD LIKE A FOSSIL EVENT OF SOME KIND, now that Redd mentioned it.

3) I'm pretty sure lots of people would be willing to help out with NPCs, if need be. I've been in games where there were mods specifically for that, or who focused on that.

4) Coordinators would actually be REALLY FUN, I think. If classes were added, I think Coordinators and Rangers would be my main wishes! Coordinators definitely have a clearer story arc to do, but Rangers would also have something decidedly different to play out. I think just trying out new classes would liven things up a lot!

5) I actually personally missed the Tournament by a bit, but I'd love to see that in action sometime. Tournaments are sort of important to the series, so it'd be fun to play it out, I think, and it sounds like everyone had a blast last time!

BRING US YOUR FEEDBACK!

lucy's feedback

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