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So the badges were just collectors items, for fun?  There was no game or incentive system, other than to stay alert and active on the site, and earn money from the mods?

What kind of coding do you do?  Or rather, what's involved in hacking?  I occasionally use python to mess with data files and stuff at work, but lua (via love2d.org) is just easier for games and stuff.  You don't have to use a compiler, so it's easier to play with.

I've always been a fan of blue yoshi, and the ability to fly.  Was there a Black Yoshi in Super Mario World (1)?  Because one of the older kids told me there was, but I didn't quite believe him....

Anyway, is the Adept's Refuge basically everything that Role and whomever were suggesting at the beginning of this thread?  I.e. with the roleplay, and the lore-documentation stuff?

For a lark, I decided to download GameMaker studio (free), and am just now going through the tutorial.  As back story, I've been coding game-stuff from scratch (or learning to, at the hobby level), and I'll admit I've recently been thinking "wouldn't it be better if I had all this ground work already laid out?"  Well, it seems the grass is always greener on the other side, because while GameMaker is cool, it's basics are the stuff I've found myself making anyway.  So I guess I've now come to the conclusion that it's good to try out a bunch of different stuff, if only so you don't complain that the way you're doing is it that much more difficult than the alternative.  I mean, sure, it might be.  But a little bit of perspective or change of pace is cool.

What all coding or tech stuff have you guys tried your hands at?  Anyone use the old RPG Maker XP? 

And I know you guys have badges and stuff, but is any of it merit based?  Or rather, indicative of what you can do?  That might help when knowing who to ask for advice and stuff.  It could also encourage noobs like myself to "level up" in things we haven't tried yet.  The same way there are Pokemon Gym leaders, you could have Tea or whomever certify that you've got whatever hacking chops.

This is super cool.  Could you post links to threads on the other sites you mentioned, where this topic is discussed?  I don't want to retread conversations that are already being had.

As an aside: I'm a heavy podcast listener, and while audio books are neat, audio-games sound really, really interesting.  So people working on hands-free, screen-free games really interest me.

[whether]

Playing the ReCap adventure in Dark Dawn (you know that theme-park thing, where you relive the previous games?), I'm reminded of how a lot of RPGs seem written as if they'd fit into an episodic structure, as an anime or something.  I often kind of look at that and say "oh, I see what they're doing there," and I think it's neat, but I've never really thought of whether it was a good idea or not.  I mostly wasted too much time being impressed with the fact that mediums reflect each other.  I never questioned whether they should.

But since y'all are story-driven RPG folks, I figure I'd ask you guys what kind of story telling you like in RPGs.  And I guess I've been thinking about how your "community project" could've been broken up into interchangeable parts (to avoid failures, bottle necks, disagreements, etc.), and I thought: "hey, just break it up into episodes!"  But perhaps that's actually a bad thing when it comes to telling a good story?

Or like a good tv show, do you want there to be both long and short story-arcs?

AND (ugh, I guess I'm just thinking out loud now) I kind of realize how I *love* filler, and atmospheric stuff, but other people hate it.  Are RPGs best when they have lots and lots of filler, or when they have no filler?

So... here's an idea.  A sort of tradition you can do on Aprils' fool, or on Halloween, or some occasion when it's in season to play tricks...

aw hell.   At the time I didn't even know. My bad. This was a hilariously bad choice of example, in retrospect.

But the suggestion's basically to do small "community things" once in a while, like "let's all replay the first Golden Sun," or whatever.  I'm in no way advocating doing forced stuff to try and "build up activity," or whatever.  Activity will go where it wants to go.  And let virtual spaces be what they are.

So what is this place for you guys now?  Is this the only place you hang, or is it just one of your periodic stops?

Sorry, I got confused with "Another Day" and "top of Pork City Tower," or whatever.  BUt this is all stuff I can check a wiki at.

Was TWEWY really popular in this group when it came out?

to clarify, which version of the game are you talking about?

aside:  I've seen TWEWY in thread titles on the Adept's Refuge as well. Are you involved there, and is that where most of your TWEWY conversation is happening?

But why the "Massively Multiplayer" aspect?  Additionally, it seems that this very forum already was a " game where people could make their own adepts, choose their appearance and element, lead their own team, etc."

lol, because the best way to appreciate a game is to read about it.  But sure, I'll take some reading recommendations if you'll link to them.

[playing with the forums]

lol, yeah, I read through the last two April Fools threads-- Man, knowing what we know now, it's pretty weird to read... I'm sure there's a perfect French word out there that describes it.  I bet you guys aren't doing anything for April Fools next year.

Charon seems to have been a wiz with hacking/modding the forum code, and it seems that was her main form of play/fun on these forums, was, quite literally, playing with the forums.  Lol, it reminds me of a young godling having fun.  Sure, the mortals might think that the massive snow storm was an abuse of powers, but eh, anything for a laugh, right?

But that really bothered some of you guys?  How come?  And I'm asking this seriously. Forums are sort of a weird place with weird political systems, and weird deities (i.e. Charon and other mods/admins).  The world works differently here.  And I guess so would senses of self-dignity.  I'm not invested in this place (i.e. if people messed with me, I could just walk away), but if I were, I can imagine that having someone else change my name and avatar would be a gross violation of my virtual person-hood.  Is that what happened?

Or was Role just trying to bully Charon into being an extension of her informal power, and this idea that " a lot of people were mad at Charon" was basically a myth perpetuated by Role and her unwitting (or intentional?) allies?

as an aside:  I love this story of "gods and mortals," and some arch-magess trying to become a god.  Has anyone else here ever looked at forums as metaphor?

It's really cool to see two clear and contrasting approaches. Role seems like someone who liked giving advice so much, she eventually got carried away with it.  Was she a good critic or a lazy critic (i.e. confusing negativity with criticism)? 

Why -255? Some sort of coding or stat reference? It reminds me of some RGB (red green blue) color coding stuff, where red, green, and blue can have values from 0 to 255.

Thanks.

I nominate you to make that sticky thread. (If you want to.) Although, Atrius would have to do the sticky-ing.

Calling upon my intense wisdom and expertise on these matters, I second this nomination.

One reason I'm bad with some RPGs is that I can't handle the pressure of making a *permanent* decision.  And I just came from the TWEWY thread, so I gotta ask, is it possible to hack in a slider that can toggle player's levels and stats?  This way you get to have your difficulty cake, and eat it too (not sure if the metaphor checks out).

Is there a thread where you talk about the ideas behind your game/hack?  I know that people tend to bounce between " I wanna talk about my ideas" and "argh, I'm sick of talking--I wanna make something!"  What zone are you in right now?

Lego's more of an exploration game, right?  Customizing difficulty in TWEWY seemed a lot more satisfying, because you could really do it on a moment to moment basis, more often. That's just the benefit of a battle based game, as opposed to a long form, exploration based game (that's what Lego Indiana Jones is, right?)

And because you had a chart of enemies, and a record of what you knew they dropped, players had incentive to experiment with different difficulties, to "complete" the bestiary.

Switching gears, the story of TWEWY never quite hit with me.  I dig the message of the title, and the story was interesting entertaining to be in, but the big reveal with Joshua being God seems a bit weird.  I don't quite get what the big ideas are.

Disclaimer:  Haven't unlocked all the extra story scenes, or game+ stuff.

Aah, a mystery.  I love a mystery.  You guys should use this stuff as inspiration for a game.

Thanks.  I just want to know the story of this place, and places like this (I'm probably not going to go looking for them on skype).  I assume all three were heavily invested, and then to suddenly split?  Seems like a story worth knowing, if only anecdotally.  Charon isn't linked to the third person on you Yoshi site, is he?  I imagine not, but the names are slightly similar, so I figured I'd ask.

edit.  Oops.  I meant "she."

^ good link.  So Sala's the other Yoshi guy? I checked the guy's stats like you suggested, and man, the he's got mad respect.  You should perhaps put some of his reference stuff in a thread and sticky it.  Or Atrius should, I mean.  Make it easier for noobs like me to find it.

So, given that this here forum's a grave yard, and we got nothing but ghosts, I suppose I don't mind dancing on grave stones...  How come the user above has negative "respect?"  Did someone just spam her '-1' button or something?

(PM me for gossip.  I don't mind).

^ That's good advice.  AND it'll be easier for other people to mod later, too (I love full-circle stuff)

But why an MMO?