State of the Game Announcement

[initiates]

In the wake of the closure of apps and moderator apps, we’re here today to bring you some heavy news: we have made the decision to close Exsilium. Unfortunately there were no moderator sign-ups, and as indicated previously, we’re therefore unable to keep the game running. The current mod team has decided that instead of seeing the game struggle or start to burn out, we would rather put our all into creating some memorable final events, and end on a high note. End game events will tie the plot together and will take us through to the very start of March, after which Exsilium will be closed.

A few of the changes we’ll see in game include the following:

• The January AC will require a check in to express interest in remaining for the end game. There will be no AC in February.
  
• Applications will be open continuously from January 12th through the first week of February. As of February 7th, 2014, applications will be permanently closed.
  
• For the duration of end game events, Betsy will be stepping up and assisting Liz as a head mod.

The events will be explained in greater detail as they near, but here is a summary of what you can expect:

• Within the next week, the Cloning & Genetics missions will wrap up, and the snow will let up in Exsilium.
  
• In late January, Transports will discover the origin of the United Earth AI, and implant the Transport AI into its newly designed programming.
  
• Shortly afterward, Transports will attend World Unification Day, a historic celebration of the birth of the United Earth. The timeline begins to warp while they’re there, and the mood of the celebrations begin to trend toward rioting instead.
  
• As February begins, a series of coded transmissions will start broadcasting regularly to Exsilium. Transports will find they’re the only ones equipped to handle the encoding, and may also find some strange elements intruding on their dreams… including sharing dream landscapes with other Transports.
  
• Mid February, the Transports will find themselves starring in a present-day remake of Groundhog’s Day, as reality continues to break down, and the space-time continuum loses coherency.
  
• By late February, reality will be moving close to the brink of collapsing, with numerous other worlds leaking into Exsilium. Transports must kick off a final confrontation with the UE, destroying their world-hopping technology and center of power.
  
• In the final week of Exsilium, Transports will be given a choice: stay in this world (now without either Initiative or a strong United Earth presence) and help rebuild; leave for their own world and retain all, some, or none of the memories of their time here; or follow someone else into another world.
  
• The final deactivation of the Transport Pad will be on March 7th, 3314/2014.

I, Liz, speak for the entire mod team (past and present) when I say that running Exsilium has been a pleasure, and I’ve been incredibly proud to watch it turn into the game it has become today. With everyone’s help, I hope that we can make the ending of Exsilium as enjoyable as its duration has been!

Comments

[reifier]

Would anyone volunteering for mod duties *now* change things? To be clearer - I wanted to volunteer, but I wasn't sure about it since I'm a new player. If I can be of any help, however, I will - because I know how much this game means to several friends.

[sailingships]

^^^ SECONDING THIS

+ ∞

[umadrobin]

I agree. I'm not exactly new, and the reason I didn't apply is because I'm about to start a new job and I assumed someone else would step up, but damn it, if there is any way I can help, I will.

[thebutt]

In the time we've been discussing this plan, we had considered the possibility that people may want to step to be a mod after hearing how dire the situation was. However, there was mutual agreement across the mod team that we would rather not have anyone taking control who was doing it only to save the game. The amount of work that goes into running and plotting for this game is immense and incredibly time-consuming, and the right frame of mind to have for it is not "I have to do this or it will close." It should be someone stepping up who genuinely was interested in having a hand in the moderatorship of the game and thought they would do a good job, not someone who felt they had no other option.

I do appreciate the drive to save a game that so many people have come to love, and I'm touched by the offers and reactions I've seen both here and on plurk, but the decision here is final.

[juneshero]

As someone who has seen a few games close abruptly for a myriad of reasons I really appreciate the fact that you guys have an endgame planned. And that you're sticking with that decision, as heartbreaking as it is. haha. ;v;

...

And so I don't end up spamming this post, can I ask about what the second last bullet point entails? For those who wish to stay/follow someone. inquiring minds wish to know- YOU PROBABLY ANSWERED/EXPLAINED THIS ON PLURK but I don't... have it... '-';;;

[implying]

<3 Thank you, I appreciate that.

Basically it means that, without the threat of the UE plunging in and destroying home worlds when they fire up the Transporter to go home, there's absolutely nothing keeping Transports from going where ever they'd like to end up. So they can go home to their world, or a non-canonmate's world, or even to their own world from a canonmate's canon point, and have full memories of Exsilium where ever they go. They can also just opt to stay here in this world.

I hope that's the clarification you were looking for! I just realized you might also have meant another point BUT LEMME KNOW IF THAT WASN'T IT.

[governorkang]

Thank you to all the work you've put into this game. I've enjoyed it immensely, and I will be sticking around to the end.

[implying]

Thank you, and I'm glad to hear that! take khisanth to ur canon point kang, it's much nicer up there

[highfrequency]

It is actually very rare for me to come across a game I love and when I find it I stick to it like glue. Exs has been that game for me since I joined as Loki last year.

I've had so much fun, you guys were always patient and ran things very well. I'm sad to see it go but I understand.

Thank you for the ride, folks!

I wish I'd had the time to step up as a mod.

[implying]

I'm so glad that Exs has had a chance to have you, Psi! For sure, you made the game a brighter place. And I really did/do appreciate your offers of plot stuff, but as you can see, the problem wasn't lack of ideas, just lack of people to put them into play. But nonetheless, thank you for sticking with us!

[chosenfake]

Thank you for everything. I've called this game home for over a year and I loved it so much.

I did have a question, though... Can characters who are dead in canon return home? I'm trying to see if I can fudge a happy ending for Luke here.

[implying]

Pshaw I think we can fudge a happy ending however we want to, especially now that we're no longer worried about trying not to fuck up canon for future applicants. For example: he could go home to a different canon point, either a canonmate's or just a random coordinate-input on the Transporter, and have a do-over that involves Not Dying.

[fintastic]

I said some of this across plurks but I want to again say thank you mods, for all the hard work you've put into this game and all the creativity that went into the story. I've been here for almost two years and it's been the best game I've had in a long while. I love this place and it's sad to see it go. :( I'm glad to have had the opportunity to do so much crazy stuff and to play a part as an NPC for a while too.

That said, two questions. One: since the missions are closing within the next week, should we hold off from posting logs for anything that hasn't been started yet? I'm not sure where that stands since I signed up for it last month but purposefully held off until this week to start the log itself.

Two: What options will the NPCs have, in regards to the second to last bullet?

[implying]

I've had a blast playing with you, and I've always loved the heart and soul you gave Exsilium. And your coding wizardry will never be forgotten!

As far as one, you can absolutely keep posting mission logs! They're not done, as much as we're just going to say that enough of them have been completed that their effects can safely start to be felt.

And two, honestly, we could take that a few directions. We could say that the NPCs fitz out of existence when the Transporter turns off, if you want to give them that kind of ending, or we could wave plotmagic wands and find an alternative solution that would give them the same options as PCs.

[ensorceler]

I was only here for half a year but I've come to love this game, and all the work put into it by the mods and the players. I'm sad to see it go, but glad it will get a proper farewell. Thank you for the good times!

[noelleno]

Thank you for being part of them!

[khajidont]

I'm probably going to be repeating myself on plurk, but just for the record, thank you guys so much for creating and guiding such a spectacular game! I had been searching a long time for a home game, and this was definitely it - thanks to both the playerbase and you guys. Everyone's been really warm and welcoming, and I know you guys worked your asses off with the upkeep and the plot development of this really unique game. Of course I'm beyond sad to see it go, but that's because you guys made something really great, so props to you guys! I'll be here through the endgame and I'm really glad that at least we get to go out with a bang.

[noelleno]

Thank you for sticking with us! We'll try to make the endgame as satisfying as we can so we can all have great Exsil memories to look back on.

[showmeyourwreath]

Thank you so much for everything. All your hard work, dedication, ideas, encouragement, all of it. This is a truly amazing game, more than I can say, right now. /JUST HAS A LOT OF FEELINGS RIGHT NOW

I'll be immensely sad to see it go, but I'm glad to have played here.

[noelleno]

Thank you for your support! I'm glad to hear you've had a good time here.

[beardedflannel]

It's been a great run. Thanks for the memories and the good times.

Applications will be open continuously from January 12th through the first week of February. Honestly you just shouldn't even bother accepting new people, from the reactions this endgame shutting down post has generated throughout plurk, rpanons, and even wankgate a lot of the newcomers are already disappointed as it is.

It would be absolutely pointless to accept newcomers/more characters only to end up giving them a month and a half or so of developing anything only for it to be shut down on them.

If it's set in stone that the endgame is happening, then applications should just be permanently closed from this point on. Accepting newcomers/new characters is also just going to add more work to your load.

Wrong account but whatever we'll match!!

[i_swear]

Chiming in to say that for some its not pointless! I know quite a few people that are interested in slipping in before the end to have some solid CR and to provide characters currently in game a little closure. Obviously not everyone will feel the same and I think a note should be stuck in for new applications as a reminder, but I'd be sad for the people I know that want in if apps were cut off completely before then.

[hornedomen]

This is the longest I've been in a game and I've had so much fun here. I'm sad to see it go, but I'm so glad I've joined this game and been a part of it. I don't think I've ever said it before, and it's sorely overdue: To the mods, I cannot express how thankful I am that you all stepped up when you did, you've kept an already great game going for an incredibly long time. My experience in Exsilium would not have been the same without you.

To the wonderful people I've met here, past and present, I'll see you through the endgame, and I hope to see you all again soon.

[noelleno]

Thank you for the constant support! We're gonna make it a great close, and will be happy to have you along for the ride.

[astion]

I like just got Estelle in last month so this is sad. But I totally understand and respect that you are sticking to your decision. I really appreciate all the work that you mods do for the game and want to thank you all for making this such an great experience for not just me but everyone else here. I've really enjoyed my time here even if I haven't been here nearly as long as some others.

[noelleno]

Thank you for being part of it, and understanding! If you do stick around, we hope you'll really love the events we got planned. 8)

[imperfect]

Sorry if this isn't exactly the right place to ask, but: if we'd like to bring a character back for endgame, do they need to be reapped as if they were a new character with past-game CR or can we reuse the old app? Exs has a special place in my heart and I'd like to be part of its send-off :>

[implying]

You can reuse the old app! (Also: yessssss :DDD)

[hornedomen]

And QUESTION BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO REGRET NOT ASKING IT LATER.

What about having an option to leave the worlds connected instead? That way characters would not have to say goodbye if they choose to go to different worlds.

Sorry about the stupid question, I'm just a sucker for happy endings.

[implying]

No worries, it's not a stupid question! And I think that for the sake of finality and the drama of decisive choices, we're going to leave the Transporter deactivated, with the plot reasoning being it's part of what's causing the instabilities. But that isn't set in stone yet, and it's possible we could adjust the planned ending.

[unmasking]

Hi, a question! Loki's player and I were setting up Peter and Loki having IC impetus to go on a mission together, and were about to do the OOC paperwork, so to speak. Would it be all right for us to go ahead and do that? Should we handwave it?

[noelleno]

At this point, you can still fill out said paperwork and it'll get looked at/organized like usual!

[doubleoohbaby]

Awww shit.

Looks like I need to get my activity together for the last push.

I really love this game (despite that my random bursts of activity might not highlight that) and the players and cr I've got have and will continue to be great. You mods have been great (you're okay, I guess, it's not like I like you or anything :|!) and the plots and missions and stuff really added something to this game.

I'm kind of surprised a game this size would close, but then again, I've never before been in a game that's closed so this comes as a new and scary surprise for me!

Saying that, I do think it's probably for the best. I've had experience of games just dropping slowly and it tends to leave me angry and full of regret xD

NOW I HAVE TO GATHER ALL THE CR TO MY BOSOM. COME AT ME BROS.

[noelleno]

I'd say don't be scared but I'm lying. Be scared, Bond.

[bloodthirsts]

It's a real shame to see the game close and I wish I'd been able to have more time to play here. I've had a lot of fun here! Thanks for all your hard work.

[noelleno]

Thank you for being part of it!

[vaccination]

Just wanna pop in and say that while I've only been here for a short while, Exsilium's been one of my best RP experiences♥ I've been so welcomed, made a few good friends, and have had soooo many good threads :') Thanks for all the hard work. I'm glad I took the plunge and apped here.

[noelleno]

I'm glad I can speak from experience that having your CR is fantastic! It's been a great time.

[knightspirit]

Man, this is a really big bummer :( I'd actually apped in hoping to find a new home for this guy in the wake of my last game being in its final days. I really wish I could have jumped in a lot sooner, because it seems really fun and like a great place to build some CR. I probably won't be staying, since trying to build things only to have to restart a third time is a little too much for me, but I wanted to wish everyone well for the endgame. ♥

Thanks for having me, and I'm really sorry I wasn't able to stick around long enough to get to know anyone.

[angel_of_death]

Kudos to you all for tying up the loose ends. Thanks for all the hard work!