Stormfall: A New Nomadic Experience

[VoilentSilence 2]

Prina, Lv, 2 Stormguard, Iron, map c, 4x sleep powder

[onefox 66]

Onefox , Stormguard  Lvl 4 Clay  Map D  4 x  Sleep powder

[Kiama 176]

I just received the following message from Pameow. I am posting it publically here in its entirety instead of responding to it privately because I have no intention of letting their claims and animosity towards my cluster spread privately unconfronted.

 

---------------------

 

Hello Kiama

 

As soon as you mentioned your intentions to get paid players I ceased playing on your server and told you so in no uncertain terms. My post was quite clear I thought. It has nothing to do with the data loss, as I said before I supported you through that incident. This reply is for politeness sake only.

 

"All you are offering the paying players is rarity" you say .... well that is a big deal, a rare tool every month for paying players compared to some day never a rare tool for the second rate, barely tolerated non-paying players.  But hang on, you are a smart lady, perhaps you already know this ?

 

And I am glad you said "at the moment" it means I am able to  rest my case. It implies that at some other, later moment, after they are hooked,  get them paying more, or lose something else...

 

Thank you, we will learn from the experience. Going to other servers in a cluster for different resources is something we will implement in the new year on our own cluster,  because it provides a good challenge for all who want a free non-combat WU server.

Best regards from Pameow.

 

---------

 

My response:

 

I pay now for five servers. I have been paying for four since the start. I have only now, when thinking of some fun ways to expand the server, asked for donations.

 

The way I have implemented those donations is exceedingly fair to non-paying players, because literally every donation provides some more interesting benefits to them. This includes treasure hunts and additional islands to explore.

 

Even the Strange Bones that patreons get, which is all they get, are not exclusive. I am giving away celebratory Strange Bones even today, which is something I promised to do on the 30th for celebrating restoring Stormfall. I have also made Strange Bones a reward for mentorship in the Stormguard system, which is completely unrelated to Patreon. And I will surely have other ways to gain Strange Bones in the future.

 

On top of that, rares and supremes and fantastics are much more common on this cluster than WO. My players can attest to that.

 

If I was rich, I would not have any patreons. I am not, and that means the only way I can implement any more of my ideas is to allow others to contribute.

 

You are of course welcome to implement my basic idea on your own cluster. I suspect you brought this up as a threat with the implication that you were going to steal my players. I genuinely have no hard feelings about you doing this. If you were able to create an experience like mine but better, people SHOULD play on your cluster instead.

 

What I am not okay with, however, is you spreading this notion that I am treating my non-paying players as second class citizens when in fact I am spending an absurd amount of time every day trying to make the experience rewarding for everyone, and indeed from the start have wanted to provide something wonderful for non-payers.

Edited November 4, 2021 by Kiama

[Kiama 176]

I will also say that my policy will always be transparency in moments like this. The more you respond privately to this kind of attack, the easier it becomes to misrepresent you. So any hard feelings towards me and my cluster should be posted here, publicly, to allow a fair and transparent resolution.

Edited November 4, 2021 by Kiama

[TheTrickster 2,284]

Well that's disappointing.  Frankly, it's a bit bizarre for someone to be so affronted by their own misrepresentation misinterpretation of your actions and their own judgmental inference of your motives.  

 

To me it seems quite juvenile to judge an experience as great if and only if nobody else can have a better one, but if someone else gets something you don't have then your previously great experience is somehow now rubbish.  I for one have been up front about not being able to pay real money but I know that the way you are managing this I am not missing out on anything.  I therefore will NOT be throwing my toys out of the cot but will play in your world for as long as you will let me, and I will be grateful for it.

 

 

Edited November 4, 2021 by TheTrickster
to be fair

[Otso 4]

Otso, Lv. 3 Stormguard, clay, map D, sleep powder

 

[Pameow 77]

If Kiama feels the need  to publish private messages that is her right to do so. I stand by what I wrote, it speaks for itself, with examples : eloquently

 

To be quite clear, I would have no expectation of stealing many players from Kiama's server. I think they would be bored quickly on a non-combat server. 

 

I have the belief that "Free to play" games who beg subscriptions from players do in fact treat the free players as second rate citizens, I said so *publicly* on this forum.

[TheTrickster 2,284]

Nope, I have to say something.  There were two "examples"; one imaginary (what you imagine will happen in the future) and the other both inaccurate and immaterial (rares being available to paying players but not other players).

 

I think a lot of your belief is based on a) your experiences elsewhere and b) a lack of experience on this cluster.

 

All the best for your servers.  I don't think they are for me, much as you don't think this one is for you, but that is the strength of WU - its diversity.

Edited November 5, 2021 by TheTrickster

[Kiama 176]

 

Here is a design that allows us to add islands to our cluster without lengthening the Storm or compromising our cluster's one-way nature.

 

Each of the three islands that currently get the Storm passing over them would get their own "island chain". In the case of Whitesand, you could enter the first island in Whitesand's island chain, and each island in the chain would lead to the next. All islands in Whitesand's island chain would lead to Redmyst. And the same structure would be used for Redmyst's and Farmarsh's island chains.

Edited November 5, 2021 by Kiama

[Kiama 176]

Today we add a mechanic for enabling further mods on our cluster. Details are found somewhere in the Library in the Celestial College on Stormfall.

 

[Kiama 176]

Since Cat stopped playing when I couldn't help her and Farce with the crossing glitch, I have been thinking about how I can ensure that this cluster is less reliant on me being online. So I would like anyone who is interested in being a GM to let me know, even if you don't meet the first and last requirements below (I will still consider you for the future). You will need to:

 

1. Be knowledgeable of the details of this cluster

2. Value this cluster
3. Treat others fairly
4. Have played for a while consistently (probably about 3 months, both to ensure you have a broad enough understanding of our cluster, and to ensure you are likely to be present)

 

I can help you learn how to use a gm character so knowledge of playing a gm character is not required.

 

There wouldn't be any obligation to help me with anything, but it would mean that when someone does need gm assistance and I'm not around, you can help if you want to (once you've learned how to use a gm). And if you would like to learn how to do stuff like implement procurement offices, I can teach you how to do it.

 

There will not be unlimited gm characters, so even if you do meet the requirements, please understand if I believe we have enough.

Edited November 14, 2021 by Kiama

[Kiama 176]

We have finally reached £15/month on Patreon! The £15 community goal, The Haven, will be added next month so that all Stormguards get to vote for the Haven map this month.

 

I have decided that, from now, new Patrons can only choose the £1 tier. Eventually, I would like all Patrons to be at the £1 tier, but for now the two people who have pledged above that have enabled me to add the Haven, so they can keep their higher pledges and rewards until we have enough total Patrons to maintain £15/month at £1 each. Note that Patreon takes 10% so we would need 17 Patrons.

 

Thank you for your support!

[Kiama 176]

I am pleased to announce that we have a new GM, Lowkey (Lackey), and a new CA, Grochar

[TheTrickster 2,284]

The Lackey is here to hep if you need rescuing when Kiama is busy with real life.  Grochar, as usual, is here to help with information and pointers, with an open and friendly manner that I for one cannot replicate.

 

Edited November 18, 2021 by TheTrickster

[Rhianna 892]

Brianna, lvl 1 Stormguard, Redmyst, sleep powder,

Edited November 30, 2021 by Rhianna

[Kiama 176]

December's Stormguard choices are going to be spells/temples again:

 

 

[Artheos 10]

Grimshaw, Lv. 0 Stormguard, Blessings of the Dark, Stormfall, 4 x Shaker Orb

 

Temple specs: Slate and slate slabs.  

 

Will work something up in deed planner soon.

 

Screenshots posted in discord, screenshots channel.

Edited November 30, 2021 by Artheos
posted ss

[Grochar 18]

Grochar, lvl 2 Stormguard , Genesis Whitesand, 4x sleeping powder 

Additional temple specifications will follow.

[TheTrickster 2,284]

Lowkey, Stormguard lvl 1, 4x sleeping powder (no temple selection)

[Artheos 10]

I noticed that there was never a real discussion about lifting the 5 prayers a day limit.  I for one would be all for lifting that limit.

[Kiama 176]

11 hours ago, Artheos said:

I noticed that there was never a real discussion about lifting the 5 prayers a day limit.  I for one would be all for lifting that limit.

 

I did open this up for discussion in the feedback channel on discord at the end of August: 

 

So at the moment the plan is to keep the vanilla prayer limits (5 a day, 20m apart) but if our little community would much rather remove one or both I will remove them. State your preference and strength of feeling, otherwise I will assume you are neutral.

 

Grochar, Lowkey, Thomas, Yasgur, and Varla were the main ones interacting with that channel at the time. 5 days later I concluded:

 

The debate over prayer is now closed; taking the feedback into consideration, there will no longer be a 20m delay between prayers (but still only 5 a day).

 

My objection to this change is mainly that it would greatly devalue the effort made previously. It is true that religion is quite out of sync with other skills on our cluster, but I have always intended religious capabilities to be hard-won and valuable (which is my secondary objection). Of course you are welcome to continue this debate whenever you want; I can be swayed by broad support, especially of veterans who have invested the most time.

[Kiama 176]

Through much pain and suffering, our server has earned sorted bulk storage - well done everyone who worked on it. The mod has been enabled across the cluster (and will be in the Haven too) and seems to be working fine.

[onefox 66]

Onefox, Lv. 0 Stormguard, 1 gold coin  (no temple selection)

[Kiama 176]

[Kiama 176]

Stormguard Advancement for January: Storm Clouds

 

The Storm only grows more ferocious, and Stormguard recruitment has not kept pace with lives claimed by it. Stormguard numbers are dwindling, and this is having a slow but deadly effect on the islands.

 

Whenever the number of Stormguards advancing in a given month is less than the number of Stormguards advancing in the previous month, a terrifyingly large Storm Cloud will linger on both Stormfall and the island that the Storm just left, leaving some permanent damage. What damage will this be? This month (January), you decide.

 

Weary Cloud: Action Speed decreased by 10%

Forgetful Cloud: Skill Gain decreased by 10%

Ruinous Cloud: Deed Upkeep increased by 10%

Chaotic Cloud: One of the above, chosen at random

White Cloud: No effect (Choose this to vote against this whole concept; I don't want to implement it if people hate the idea)

 

Depending on how this concept is received, there may of course be counter-mechanisms in the future. But for now this puts all non-Haven islands on some kind of diminishing trajectory, such that players who play now are more easily able to achieve things than players will be in the future. But the islands will also diminish in divergent ways, which you may find interesting (and you may not). If people like the divergence but not the diminishing, there is the obvious counter mechanism of having the opposite happen when Stormguard numbers increase. Whatever your feelings, let me know what you think.

 

The first month this comes into effect would be February, where the total Stormguards for December and January would be compared.

 

Example advancement this month:

 

Kiama, Stormguard Lv 2, Chaotic Cloud, 4 x Sleep Powder

 

Stormguard Rewards

 

Lv. 0: 4 x Sleeping Powder
Lv. 1: 2 x Shaker Orb
Lv. 2: Personal Merchant Contract
Lv. 3: Ten 50 QL Sprouts of your choice
Lv. 4: Small Magical Chest, your choice of wood
Lv. 5: 1 Gold Coin
Lv. 6: Large Magical Chest, your choice of wood