Feedback Post

[soul_mods]

Hello everybody!

It’s been a little over a month now since our new mod-team has been formed and become active and a lot of things have happened since then: the backlog of all those things that are needed to keep a game running has been cleared up and optimized, the annoying bug that kept borking the game profile page over and over again faster than you could say “It’s working again!” has been hunted down and taken care of (if you have time, give Orange a big Thank You for that, that thing was nasty!), App cycles and the handling of the intro logs were tinkered with to make them run smooth again and the first phase of a new plot that stars opponents that are neither witches nor kishin eggs has been run! This isn’t the end, though!

We know that there there’s still a lot more that can be done to make the game enjoyable for everyone and this is where we need your help, wonderful players of Soul Campaign!

We want your feedback!


We need to know where we and the game are currently standing to make it fun for everyone. To do that we need your feedback! Be it concrit, things you’d like to see more of, things that annoys you, wishes, opinions, questions you have, stuff that has caught your eyes,… Give it to us!

In the following you will find comments with headers about things that we’d like to hear your thoughts on as well as for suggestions for things that could be done in the future. That said, don’t hesitate to make your own threads with headers if you want to talk about something that we forgot to cover too! You want to talk about it, we want to hear it!! We’d also like to ask you to be brutally honest with us (I don’t mean kick your manners to the bucket, but don’t pull any punches just because we are mods either)! We all want to play and have fun here, so it’s just fair that each voice and opinion has the same weight.

Thanks a lot for participating!


Update-Edit: Wow, a REALLY BIG thanks for all the comments that we’ve gotten so far! They’re all very helpful and we are taking them very seriously – with the result that official mod replies will be a little slow as we’re considering all the points you’ve made carefully.

Juu, first of all we owe you an apology for what has happened. We’re still figuring out what went wrong and how to address the concerns you brought up. Please be patient with us.

Comments

[heavenly_earth]

Looking at some of these comments, I'd like to propose an old idea.

Watch Missions. There's an archive of them here for reference. Simple missions for cash rewards and ideally, the occasional Kishin eggs/Meister points. The cash missions would be auto-win, and if Kishin Eggs could be re-implemented as well, they could be easy/weak ones for 1 soul/point apiece.

Moreover, these missions would simply give Watch members official things to do, perhaps provide IC incentives for joining, and be focused on the clean-up work of various events. Like right now, there would be sewage clean up from the presumed cave-ins, a team or two dedicated to removing the rest of the traps from the area, cleaning graffiti off of buildings and/or gaining leftover intel which may or may not be useful ICly. Basically expanding the look at the general state of the city at a given point. Naturally, the mission contents would shift, depending on IC things that happen in the city in the months ahead.

I realize that writing changeable missions up can be a pain, so if the mods aren't keen on the idea, I wouldn't mind writing up descriptions and letting the mods simply decide rewards as they post them or something? I could certainly brainstorm with other members of the Watch as well to give this organization the feeling of IC purpose again.

+1

[tauborn]

[recitings]

I'm on board with this idea o/ And I'm very willing to help Youko out with the managerial stuff behind the Watch missions (eg. writing them up, finding stuff to address).

I've already told her on Plurk, but I was also thinking that with bringing back regular Watch patrol logs, there'd also be mini-missions/tasks members can choose from which should help keep up that feeling of maintaining the city/being alert for trouble.

I think it could also be a great field for villain characters to bounce off on in case they want to create some mischief (and get noticed) or try to do something big in stages and need some person in authority to notice them.

[de_faulty_hero]

The only problem the last time with the Watch missions was that no one actually took them because, at the time, Kishin Eggs were hard to come by. They often sat with no one taking them because it was only a money reward, which wasn't that interesting at the time when people were collecting Kishin Egg souls.

Also, with so few characters/players involved in the Watch compared to its hay day (when the Watch Missions were in full swing), it might be too separated or maybe considered more 'elite'? I'm not sure. I remember a bit of undertone of that the last time and then missions just sat there on the board until they were taken off.

[heavenly_earth]

Hm well, even if they aren't made to be official missions, they could be worked into patrol logs or something as tasks for groups to work on. Just figured getting some extra pay for it might provide more IC motivation. I suppose we can see how it goes? The members do need something other than day-in, day-out dull patrols to do on a somewhat regular basis..

[de_faulty_hero]

No, I totally agree with your logic and reasoning, but I'm not entirely sure that having official missions would help? I think Watch having mini-missions within the city maybe, since it give IC involvement to those on patrol and maybe even getting non-Watch characters helping out or at least CRing with them?

The entire hand-waving walking around, talking, getting paid, filing papers, and whatnot has gotten very old. It would almost be nice for Watch people to head out and see how other Shibusens or police-like organizations work to expand the effectiveness of the Watch in the city. That seems really hard to do and hand-waving a lot, so I'm not sure what else.

[heavenly_earth]

Hmmm.. how about a system where they accept special IC requests to do things in the city? They can keep their own mission-type board posted up and handwave some random NPC/Shibusen agent requesting help with the sewers, traps and things as well as have other characters make requests if they want to.. It could possibly help them rework Guest and civilian ties as well by lending out agents to help them with whatever they want help with.

[de_faulty_hero]

You mean like special missions that anyone can post to? NPCs, PCs, Shibusen? I keep getting the whole:

"My kitty is stuck in a tree. Can you send someone to get her out?" Signed nice little old lady

That's kind of random, but it would be cute, potentially funny and also serious for them to do stuff around the city to help people out when there is a request.

[heavenly_earth]

Yeah. I could post up a Watch mission board in the Watch journal, bulleted with drawn up tasks. Diverse, like you said- from kitty saving for little old ladies, to commissions from the police force for help with arrests or something. Then in the comments, PCs could take/add their own requests to the board. Neji's used to this kind of system back home, so it wouldn't take too much for him to ICly consider it.

[de_faulty_hero]

Well it is definitely something to consider, and it could work out so long as people know that it is out there to use and we can have the ability to post to it. Stuff like that could add a little less mundane aspects to the jobs, and people could sign up for them or be assigned?

[heavenly_earth]

Probably sign up. It could be ICly pimped out by Zone Leads. Maybe they could assign their subordinates these tasks sometimes, too.. Like maybe if there were some district-specific requests. Hm.

[de_faulty_hero]

That's true. Something that happens in Outer Residential Quarter I requires someone from that district to attend. Sign up can be 'anonymous' to be random citizens of the city?

[heavenly_earth]

Yeah, that could work. It'd give people in a zone more to do, grant plenty of opportunities for CR both with other Watch members, and with non-members as well as they could make the requests and meet up with them and things. Also take the pressure off the mods to keep the Watch missions updated too. I think it has potential.

[de_faulty_hero]

Yes, that's very true. People could have to meet or contact the person who did the request to get more information. It could work towards CR.

I do worry that you're taking on too much again, though. :( Don't burn yourself out with all these great ideas, okay?

[heavenly_earth]

Yeah xD; I have Hibi's help for now, but maybe someone might have IC interest in maintaining the list or sth. I'd still need to come up with missions, but.. I could open suggestions to plurk for ideas/things they might want to see, and that might help.

I just want the Watch to run well and be interesting again!

[de_faulty_hero]

Well, I have no problem coming up with basic missions to begin with and trying to lend a hand, but I can't say I'm terribly effective. :/

Yes, I know that feeling well. I hope this idea gets off the ground.

[heavenly_earth]

Yes. I might make an OOC post to gauge interest in it sometime soon and take input as to how the system should work. This might take care of mini-plot ideas, I think. Little things to do to break up both inanity and provide characters with something else to do even during/after big plot arcs.

[recitings]

I'd be willing to ICly maintain the list given Genesis' position as one who coordinates with the Agency XD It could also be nice to have someone watching out for me too, like a hired clerk. But clerical work is something I can do even when I'm busy, so I'm cool with that.

[heavenly_earth]

Oho~ well now Genesis, don't overwork yourself ;D But Neji'd be happy to leave it in his hands, of course. But yeah, if someone ICly and OOCly wanted to help him, you guys could prolly handle it. I'd still help coming up with missions and Neji could simply oversee it in a fashion ICly.

[recitings]

Actually, I think it's fairly easy to weave it into the game ICly :3c Genesis might speak with Neji about it in the upcoming Training Log.

[heavenly_earth]

Oh, I'm sure coming up with the system ICly would be a piece of cake, given how ninja missions are taken and carried out, so this could take off quickly if there's OOC interest.

[recitings]

Hopefully there is! \o/ I know it's kind of hard to see the value of a cash reward in RP, but hopefully the prospect of opening up more CR opportunities can help. Do you think we can open up some missions to non-Watch folk as a kind of "bounty", though?

[heavenly_earth]

Suppose we could? Give them opportunity to work with the Watch before deciding if they want to join maybe.

[recitings]

Yeah :D It would help. It would also give other characters the chance to be a hero at least once if they wanted to. Also, I'm thinking that a proof that the mission was done could be either a log or a network post, so even individuals can do it.

But those involving Kishin Eggs need to be logged out.

[heavenly_earth]

Yeah that sounds good. As for Kishin Eggs, we'll have to ask if we'll be allowed to include any of them in missions, but yes I agree.