Suggestions Post
NOTE: This is NOT where you tell us about problems caused by players and this is NOT an FAQ. If you'd like to alert us to rules being broken, please do so here. If you'd like to ask us general questions, please do so here.

Sometimes, we need your guys' help to let us know when problems need fixing. While we've always been glad to hear and respond to comments/suggestions about the game itself through IM, e-mail, and comments to mod posts, we've decided it's time to centralize all of those concerns in one post for ease of use for players and ease of reference for us. Of course, before you jump to comment on everything that's been bothering you, keep in mind that this game is a labor of love and we mods already spend much – possibly most – of our free time maintaining it. We're not using this as an excuse for bad modding, but we do want you guys to keep in mind just how much work a game like this requires as is. (Not that we'd want it any other way. ♥)

That said, here are the only three rules that we insist on you guys adhering to in this post:

1) No rude comments and no personal attacks. While we don't mind constructive criticism, we do mind being berated and belittled. One of the personal standards we head mods strive to uphold is to treat all players with respect and objectivity in all aspects of how we run the game. We hope that we've succeeded at this and we hope that we can ask for the same treatment in return.

2) Keep your suggestions focused on only one or two specific issues. We can only tackle so many projects at once, so please let us know only the most important problems that you think need fixing rather than giving us a long list of concerns that we can't handle all at the same time. This will help both parties: you'll have more room to explain how you think we should address the problem at hand and we'll have more material to work from if we decide we can tackle the issue.

3) Only current players may make formal comments with the exception of suggestions related to the application process. We have a hard enough time trying to meet the needs of current players without counting in the votes of potential players as well; however, we do feel that applicants – accepted or not – should have a say in the application process, given that they are all active participants in it.

Any comments that do not adhere to the above standards will be deleted.

What we will do if you comment here:

• We will carefully read over your comment and discuss its contents.
• We will respond to your comment if we are able. (The amount of input we get on this post and whether or not we're reading applications at that point in time might cause a response to be delayed.)

- If we feel we can address your concerns, we will start making changes, which might include polls to the Lounge, asking other players for their opinions, and ultimately, rule-revisions.
- If we feel we cannot address your concerns, we will explain why as best we can. Due to time constraints, we can't accept any further petitioning of the matter unless other players also express concern, in which case we will gladly reexamine our options.

• We will leave your comment visible and unlocked even after we reply to it so that any other players can give their input.

Remember: WE CANNOT ACT ON THE REQUESTS OF EACH AND EVERY COMMENT. While we will certainly take all input into consideration when updating the community's standards, we admit that there are certain aspects of the game that we would not physically be able to address or that we feel wouldn't be beneficial to the community at large.

ONCE YOU HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD ALL OF THE ABOVE:
Please fill out the form below and comment to this entry. Anonymous comments are disabled. All comments are visible.

Your name/handle:
E-Mail:
AIM:
Character(s) Played:

Specific Problem: (one sentence description of the specific issue you want to bring to our attention)
Explanation: (expand on the problem itself: tell us why this is a problem; tell us why we should address it; tell us how it affects players and/or the game negatively; etc.)
Suggestions: (tell us how you think we should address this problem; please be as specific as possible!)

<b>Your name/handle:</b> <b>E-Mail:</b> <b>AIM:</b> <b>Character(s) Played:</b> <b><u><i>Specific Problem</u></i>:</b> (one sentence description of the specific issue you want to bring to our attention) <b>Explanation:</b> (expand on the problem itself: tell us why this is a problem; tell us why we should address it; tell us how it affects players and/or the game negatively; etc.) <b>Suggestions:</b> (tell us how you think we should address this problem; please be as specific as possible!)

(150 comments) - (Post a new comment)

roseargent 2009-01-03 01:43 am UTC (link)

Your name/handle: Rose Argent E-Mail: muse.collective@gmail.com AIM: Rose Nekochan / use mudo Character(s) Played: Farfarello, Leon Magnus, Sumeragi Subaru, Freyjadour Falenas, Tachibana Shito, Tokito, Chidori, (Parasite) Eve [NS Only] Specific Problem: Too much hack-and-bash, not enough scary. Explanation: Damned is supposed to be, AFAIK, a scary sort of game, but the psychological horror aspects are really falling by the wayside. Most of the monsters are strictly physical, and once a character has seen one giant mutant animal the shock factor sort of wears off. The actually scary/mind-fucky monsters are exceedingly rare (Mimics, Pyramid Head, etc.) and for the most part the night-time atmosphere isn't particularly frightening once characters get a chance to get used to it. There's a "same-old, same-old" sort of feel to NS after a while. Suggestions: I realise the dearth of NPC mods is a problem, so I have a few suggestions that are largely player-based. First is that there be more of a horror feel to the Institute at night--more random blood stains, more strange noises that don't necessarily result in a monster, more oddly foggy rooms where there should be no fog, etc. The mods can quickly lay out in advance which rooms are going to have weird effects that night, and once that's established it's all up to the players to react to it. Likewise, randomly trapped rooms could be interesting--again, once the mods pick the rooms for the night, it can be up to the players to work with it. Another thought is to specifically up the psychological stuff: some of the traps could involve characters hallucinating their worst fear, or seeing their companions as enemies suddenly--all stuff that the players can do amongst themselves, without needing to strain the NPC mods' work loads, or find NPC mods who happen to know the canon of the characters involved. (Reply to this) (Thread)

callie_chan 2009-01-03 01:50 am UTC (link)

Random suggestion sparked by this suggestion, and meant as an addendum to it - perhaps for the traps/psychological effects, rather than having the same thing happening in the same room all the time, perhaps some sort of simple randomizer could be set up? A list of environmental pieces (bloodstains on the walls/floor/ceiling, fog, etcetera) and traps from which affected rooms could pull randomly from? A lack of predictability would add to the tension. Even more fun, you could have a screened survey post where you poll the player base for suggestions on things to go in the randomizer~ No one would know what was on the list beyond their own suggestions except you guys. ♥ (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - tiassa, 2009-01-03 03:42 am UTC

(no subject) - roseargent, 2009-01-03 03:46 am UTC

(no subject) - eryncerise, 2009-01-03 04:19 am UTC

(no subject) - roseargent, 2009-01-03 04:44 am UTC

(no subject) - eryncerise, 2009-01-03 04:51 am UTC

(no subject) - eternity_dreams, 2009-01-03 04:27 am UTC

(no subject) - souji_chan, 2009-01-03 09:44 am UTC

(no subject) - puddingtreat, 2009-01-03 07:37 pm UTC

(no subject) - orenda33, 2009-01-04 08:13 pm UTC

(no subject) - zalia, 2009-01-05 02:31 am UTC

(no subject) - sarrasi, 2009-01-05 07:16 am UTC

(no subject) - sarrasi, 2009-01-05 10:41 pm UTC

(no subject) - tiassa, 2009-01-10 03:01 pm UTC

(no subject) - sarrasi, 2009-01-11 03:42 am UTC

(no subject) - continuum, 2009-01-09 08:03 am UTC

(no subject) - stalksperverts, 2009-01-11 05:39 pm UTC

(no subject) - toxicspiderman, 2009-01-25 02:06 am UTC

zalia 2009-01-05 03:03 am UTC (link)

Your name/handle: Zalia E-Mail: zaliachimera@gmail.com AIM: ZaliaChimera Character(s) Played: Ed Elric, Yohji Kudoh, Kenren Taisho, Matsumoto Rangiku, Argilla, Allelujah Haptism Specific Problem: People only ever get one chance for MU or SC and once they've had it, there's no chance at all of being able to do it again or to another character. Explanation: I do understand the reasons for this rule, but I also think that it cuts an awfully large number of players completely off from one of the main psychological aspects of the game. Once you've had your chance, then you can never do anything like it again so nightshift loses it's sense of anticipation I guess because you know your characters are never going to be picked and are never going to have a chance to experience the kind of development that SC and MU can bring. I know there are also people who have chosen one and then later realised that it wasn't the best choice, but they'll never be able to remedy that. Suggestions: Another suggestion, originally made by Rose (I think) and Jansen, is to do with MU and SC slots and the fact that once people have had it for 1 character, they never get another chance. First Suggestion: Maybe two nights a week (IC week), on MU night and one SC night, the slots for MU and SC should be opened up to all players, even if they've had a character MUed or SCed before. They'd have to go into the randomiser like everyone else, but it would at least give players who've had it a chance. Second Suggestion: When people decline MU or SC, leaving an empty slot, that slot should be left open to everyone who's not thrown their character out yet, regardless of whether they've already got a character who has been through MU and SC. I mean obviously, there would have to be a rule that someone couldn't get two MU/SC slots in a row, but I think it might just keep that aspect of the game interesting for players who've already had it. Edited at 2009-01-05 03:10 am UTC (Reply to this) (Thread)

sarrasi 2009-01-05 06:35 am UTC (link)

My only disagreement with this is the obvious: it's unfair to people who haven't had the chance at all yet. As someone who dropped a character who had SC, I completely empathize with wanting to get a second chance sometime in...ever, but still. I'd really like to see a lot more slots for both actually. The area available is a lot wider now, so maybe spreading some SCers out into the surrounding area would be a good way to get more of them in per night without just blocking up the whole institute. There should be a lot more MU slots too, if possible, but I know that puts a lot of strain on NPC mods. I would actually suggest opening that up MU doctor shifts to the players whenever possible, as long as they know the fandom and run the main idea by the mods. Um... Maybe another kind of major torture for the night as well? Don't know what though. (Reply to this) (Parent)

(no subject) - lacidiana, 2009-01-05 07:35 am UTC

(no subject) - zalia, 2009-01-05 02:33 pm UTC

multiweapon 2009-01-08 04:15 am UTC (link)

Your name/handle: pebi E-Mail: heavenlywheel@gmail AIM: Heavelny wheel Character(s) Played: Haseo Specific Problem: The Friends Add List. Explanation: The friends add/remove is a little overbearing. Could it be split up into more manageable bits? Every time I copy too much the console flips out. Suggestions: textboxes like the one used in this post make the copying and pasting much more simple. Also perhaps cutting it up to where there are sections so that the console doesn't get overloaded would be useful. I.E. Have a "most recent" friends remove/add and an older friends remove/add or whatever. (Reply to this)

famira 2009-01-24 06:54 am UTC (link)

Your name/handle: famira E-Mail: shampoo_famira@yahoo.com AIM: Famira Damaris, monticora494 Character(s) Played: Eddie Brock, Qui-Gon Jinn, Clark Kent, Dean Winchester Specific Problem: More things to investigate Explanation: It does seem that a lot of the emphasis on the game is physically fighting, whether it's SCers, NSers or the normal monsters. It can feel repetitive if it's only just fighting and it also leaves the non-physical characters at a bit of a disadvantage. Suggestions: Generally, have more options that you can investigate and not get blocked on it immediately. Like, have more files than just patient files if a character is in investigation-mode. Maybe have computers be hackable partially, so characters can find information but not anything that'll equal escape or whatever? Maybe have some phone-lines work, but with a voice or something weird on the other end? Maybe just more information than just where supplies are located? What about patient movements during SC/MU, like logs of who was admitted, etc? Maybe old patient diaries scattered around? Lists of names in the autopsy room, which could maybe change depending on who was looking at it (it'd related to whoever was looking at them personally)? (Reply to this) (Thread)

iwascloned 2009-02-06 01:01 am UTC (link)

I agree with this wholeheartedly. The lack of avenues for investigation really seems like it takes the fangs off of sleuthing-oriented characters. The computers especially could stand to be made a little more accessible. Maybe some capturable doctor or hidden file could have the password for one of the computers. Also, I know it would probably be a pain in the neck, but I wish there were some way for clever characters to slip away and try to do some investigating during dayshift. It seems like there would be some valuable information to be gained, and the characters looking for it would have to be much more careful than during nightshift in order to avoid getting caught. Plus, the fact that they wouldn't be able to rely on combat abilities would make the whole situation more tense. (Reply to this) (Parent)

oftemptation 2009-02-05 11:05 pm UTC (link)

Your name/handle: jennifer, on RP account E-Mail: jenleigh at gmail AIM: roses t pearls Character(s) Played: Edgeworth, Shiki, Akihiko, Endrance Specific Problem: spread-out MU/virus/effect events Explanation: I know a lot of folks have tried various ways of handling the problem of there being not a lot of MU/SC slots, and wanting more scary/unknown/psychological effects on their character. I think one way to do this is to look to the canons themselves and let loose some bad effects from them, either during DS or NS. Suggestions: I was originally thinking about this in terms of the 'viral' effects that both .hack//GU and Persona 3 have. In each case, a virus (AIDA for GU and Apathy Syndrome for P3) have effects on characters in the worlds they're in. AIDA, for example, plays on - and amplifies emotions, completely changing a character's personality; in its worst state, it can even alter a player's physical form. Apathy Syndrome leaves the victim incoherent and vulnerable. They can't take care of themselves, and there's no cure. I know there are other fictional things along this vein that go on in various canons (the illness I can't remember the name of from FMA; the T-virus from Resident Evil, Noise infections in TWEWY, etc.), so you'd have a lot of choices to choose from. The way it could affect a person could almost be like SC or MU, just on a smaller (or wider) scale. (Reply to this) (Thread)

tender_cruelty 2009-02-05 11:39 pm UTC (link)

Adding Demon Virus from Digital Devil Saga here; people get infected and suddenly find themselves with the uncontrollable need to eat the monsters that they kill. Adding to Jen's suggestion since we've been discussing it, the idea of various virus effects could lead to some awesome character development. Having three or four monsters a night infected with this 'plague' who pass it on through bites or scratches, and then the patients pass it on to their companions so it spreads without anyone really knowing where it came from without needing too much mod guidance. If it carried on over a few Nightshifts it could cause real fear and panic among the patients; hearing hints about it during the dayshift over the bulletin and through conversation. And with panic, people tend to do stupid things; patients turning against each other as they try to quarantine infected, turning on their friends, hunting down the infected to remove the threat. As well as this is the added bonus of the symptoms being gone during the day but coming back at night, leaving the patients to question whether they really are crazy and imagining the symptoms. (Reply to this) (Parent)

(no subject) - stiffserpent, 2009-03-05 09:54 am UTC

roseargent 2009-02-09 11:02 pm UTC (link)

Your name/handle: That freakin' troublemaker Rose Argent E-Mail: muse.collective at gmail AIM: Rose Nekochan Character(s) Played: Farfarello, Leon Magnus, Sumeragi Subaru, Freyjadour Falenas, Tachibana Shito, Tokito, Chidori, (Parasite) Eve [NS Only] Specific Problem: Out of date/cluttered Requested Characters list Explanation: When people drop their requested characters don't get cleared off the list. For instance, we have a lot of GetBackers and Yami no Matsuei characters (even some fairly minor YnM characters) on there, when all the players from these canons have dropped. Suggestions: Well, for the future it would probably help to have some system of keeping track of who has made various requests--that would make it very easy to just go through and remove all the defunct requests. But for now? The only thing I can think of is either completely starting over, with a temporary lift of the "2 or 3 characters every month" limit, or maybe some sort of Lounge post giving people a week or two to "claim" the requests they made and ask that they not be removed. I know this is a relatively minor issue, it just seems like the characters current players desperately want might be getting lost in the sea of names. And, okay, this is really my last suggestion for a while. Promise. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	burningvigor 2009-03-22 08:40 am UTC (link)
	I think it might be easier for me to just remember to clean it out more often, and in that case, I give you and anyone else full permission to bug me whenever it seems like it needs to be cleaned out. (Reply to this) (Parent)

tiassa 2009-03-18 02:29 am UTC (link)

Your name/handle: tiassa E-Mail: tiassa@gmail.com AIM: tiassa Character(s) Played: Yue, Hanatarou, Ayumu Specific Problem: Additional clarification in the "standard" character profile would be very useful. Explanation: When I'm trying to find information on a character (especially when writing NPC stuff), sometimes I would like more information but since I'm not sure where the character is from, I end up having to go dig up the patient list and check. I also noticed tonight when writing a monster post that I wasn't sure if a particular character was wearing the standard clothing or if he had an Oktoberfest outfit, and ended up having to dig through his previous threads to find out since the mun wasn't online at the time. Suggestions: I would suggest a change to the standard character profile to include a) the series a character is from and b) whether or not they have a different NS outfit (and it would be nice to have a link to a picture of it, too), just for easier reference. (Reply to this) (Thread)

burningvigor 2009-03-22 08:41 am UTC (link)

When you mean the series, like... I would say in my userinfo for Sora that he's from Kingdom Hearts, for instance? In that case, it might be good to even have people link to the character's wikipedia article. Not the Damned wiki, but just the normal wiki page for them so that NPC mods can read up on them a little if necessary. And the outfit thing should be doable, too, so... yes! (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - tiassa, 2009-03-22 01:39 pm UTC

(no subject) - burningvigor, 2009-04-16 07:28 am UTC

jennifer 2009-03-18 04:59 am UTC (link)

Your name/handle: Jen E-Mail: jenleigh at gmail dot com AIM: roses t pearls Character(s) Played: Edgeworth, Akihiko, and Endrance Specific Problem: The restrictions on memes in the cafe are too strict. Explanation: The way things are in the cafe right now, with only one person allowed to post memes and such, it can take a long time for things to be posted. I think this is keeping people from submitting; they don't know how long it will take for it to be posted. As well, it seems like a lot of strain on just one person to keep up with that. If RL gets busy, it can take several weeks for a meme to get posted. Also, I think memes and the like help build the community. Chat is nice and all, but sometimes it's easier to jump in when you're new by answering a few memes and getting to know people that way. It can be less anxiety-provoking that way. Suggestions: I think one of two things would be a good work-around. One, going to moderated posting in the cafe, and let a mod look at everything before it's approved. The downside to this is that it catches things like fic and art in the mix, too. The other is to simply open up meme posting and such to all players - and just have the mod team freeze/screen/delete/etc. any comments that get wanky, turn into flames, or are otherwise unacceptable. Edited at 2009-03-18 05:00 am UTC (Reply to this) (Thread)

	burningvigor 2009-03-22 08:44 am UTC (link)
	Yeah, I think at this point it would be better to just open meme posting up to everyone. The only problem I can think of is that memes would get over-posted, so I'm not sure how that sort of thing could be regulated, exactly, if you have any ideas. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - jennifer, 2009-03-25 05:07 am UTC

(no subject) - burningvigor, 2009-03-25 11:31 am UTC

(no subject) - revolves, 2009-03-25 02:30 pm UTC

(no subject) - burningvigor, 2009-03-25 02:34 pm UTC

stopcounting 2009-03-20 03:13 am UTC (link)

Your name/handle: Allie E-Mail: onlyonairplanes@gmail.com AIM: quantifythis Character(s) Played: Shikamaru Specific Problem: Assigned sections for NPC mods can leave some characters in limbo. Explanation: The assigned sections for NPC mods can be frustrating for players who put in monster requests in sections where the NPC mod is on an extended hiatus or otherwise too busy to post. A lot of players, especially new ones, are nervous about seeming like a nuisance by poking the mod in question, but this means that monster requests can occasionally go unfulfilled for a week or more, leaving poor monsterbait threadstalled. Suggestions: One possibility would be something along the lines of having activity checks for NPC mods, or perhaps if the request goes unfulfilled for more than three days, the player could ask another NPC mod or just put out a general call for help, maybe in another reply to the monster request post. Alternately, there could be an ordered list of NPC mods who play monsters, and each monster request would be picked up by whoever was next on the list, unless that mod was on hiatus or overly busy, in which case it would be passed on to the one after them. This would also help NPC mods who tend to get a looooot of requests in their sections and can be easily swamped. If a particular mod really really enjoys monsters, they could just put their name on the list multiple times or something. The solution that requires the least effort with changing would be to ask players to include the name of the NPC mod for that area on their request post...I know that I've accidentally thought requests in my area were intended for other people because of the east/west discrepancy and the similar main hall names on both floors. I feel silly writing this request since I was one of the staunch advocates of the sectioning, but I've heard the problems and concerns brought up by a fair handful of people. (Reply to this) (Thread)

burningvigor 2009-03-22 08:43 am UTC (link)

I think it would be a really good idea to maybe have the NPC mod whose section it's in put into the comment's subject line so that it stands out right away, yeah. :3 And also maybe have some sort of rule, like you said, that... if a request isn't filled within three days, the person could comment again poking, or even feel free to track down the NPC mod and ask them about it guilt-free. And the NPC mods should all feel free to admit that they don't have the time and suggest that the player try to find someone else (or find someone else for them, depending on how friendly they are with the other NPCers, etc.) How's that stuff sound to you? (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - stopcounting, 2009-03-22 08:59 am UTC

blinkinghell 2009-03-25 10:00 pm UTC (link)

Your name/handle: Bex E-Mail: bexiferfox@gmail.com AIM: Bexiferfox Character(s) Played: Kaoru, Soubi, Rude and Ryuk Specific Problem: Monster/Power posts Explanation: Basically, it's about keeping a track of the OOC Information in regards to monster and character abilities, like Shinigami eyes, for example. As a person collecting info on other characters and as the person posting FOR characters... I just get a little lost and the task seems daunting, digging out the replies and cluttering threads with new ones. I tried to edit initial posts, but then I had dropped characters or changed journals so it got cluttered... and... yeah. When it comes to finding information Ryuk has gathered, it can also be a pain to go through posts to find a specific character, if it's even there to begin with *is guilty for not posting on threads and is not having a go...* Suggestions: SO! When it came to my own characters, I thought I'd try this. Basically, ALL the information for Rude is in one place. There's a link to it in his profile. There's a link on the top post in his journal and each section has it's own lj cut. This way I can keep a track of his responses to Monster and Abilities posts and, hopefully, the people looking for the information will find this a little easier. I know it won't solve everything and people like me might still fall behind. But maybe it it was suggested to the players, some might find it easier to keep a track of? Has that made sense? :/ (Reply to this) (Thread)

	miltia 2009-03-25 10:05 pm UTC (link)
	I second this idea. Even though I don't collect info on other characters, I've gone back through some of them to try and find my own responses, and found it to be very cluttered and a bit of a pain. Especially for ones like Pyramid Head or the aquilas, which have been up for a really long time. This sort of thing would make it a lot easier, I think. (Reply to this) (Parent)

(no subject) - roseargent, 2009-03-28 06:33 am UTC

(no subject) - beloved_less, 2009-03-30 07:38 pm UTC

valentinite 2009-04-02 02:40 am UTC (link)

Your name/handle: Sarah E-Mail: valentinite@lj AIM: valentinitesarah Character(s) Played: toxicspiderman Specific Problem: More clarification on what we can assume/self-NPC? Explanation: There's been a stack of posts and just now a question in chat about what we can/can't assume for daytime nurses. This also applies for other things -- how much description can we come up with on our own to fill in the gaps, without actually posting a question to the lounge. I'm not speaking about anything that would affect plot -- just window-dressing stuff that still should be consistent. Suggestions: Maybe link a few examples of doing it right for both "this is something you can write yourself", "this is something you can't". ETA to add a second note: Specific Problem: Visitor shift is rare Explanation: Visitor shift, one of the few guaranteed mindfuck bits of the game, is really infrequent and also difficult to be sure you'll have someone. Suggestions: Maybe some other forms of communication with "outside"? Letters from "real life" friends? Edited at 2009-08-10 01:52 am UTC (Reply to this)

kingside 2009-04-08 03:00 am UTC (link)

Your name/handle: Lina E-Mail: lina.metallium@gmail.com AIM: madder sky Character(s) Played: Lelouch Specific Problem: Schedule on the bulletin is out of date. Explanation: UHH, well, I know the one in the info journal is always accurate and states that it's always up on the board, but I'm weird and seeing this one in the bulletin comm bugs me. D| Suggestions: Maybe just post the table without any of the days highlighted and include a link back to the info post in an OOC note saying something like "Refer to this for the day of the week and pretend the schedule on the bulletin is updated alongside it." Or something. Or just update them both at the same time. That works too. Please don't kill me. -- OH, and maybe give it a tag? And can we change the bulletin layout so that there's an easily accessible tag list in the sidebar or something? I'M SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME ON THERE, CAN YOU TELL? Edited at 2009-04-08 03:57 am UTC (Reply to this)

stiffserpent 2009-04-10 05:53 pm UTC (link)

Your name/handle: Fly E-Mail: haboism at yahoo dot co dot uk AIM: fireholly99 Character(s) Played: Solid Snake Specific Problem: Gardening supplies? Explanation: On the Supplies list, there's plenty of awesome about the things that can be found in other supply rooms, but the gardening supplies section is markedly absent. This is especially egregious because gardening needs very specialist equipment, and many, if not all, of the tools and chemicals involved in even basic gardening (such as pruning shears and nitrate fertiliser) would make useful weapons come Nightshift. There's a list of items in the Gardener's Shed section of the map, but it's not formalised or put on the Supply list, so it's unclear where the gardening supplies actually are. Suggestions: I think a list of available gardening supplies should be added to the Supplies list, and it should be made clear where the supplies are stored (presumably it's little toy shovels and relatively safe equipment in the Greenhouse, and the more hardcore stuff in the gardener's shed). (Reply to this)

timeleaper 2009-04-10 10:26 pm UTC (link)

Your name/handle: Zalia E-Mail: zaliachimera @ gmail . com AIM: ZaliaChimera Character(s) Played: Ed, Yohji, Kenren, Matsumoto, Argilla, Allelkujah, Ronixis Specific Problem: Inactive characters (who aren't posted on the hiatus list) have become really frustrating during roommate shifts for a lot of people. Explanation: Since during roommate shifts, characters do not have the option of threading with anyone except their roommate, it becomes very frustrating and annoying when a character is utterly inactive very frequently, even when they are not listed as on hiatus. For example, Rangiku is roommates with Temperance Brennan, and they have been roommates for at least 2 or 3 in-game days, and yet, Temperance has not posted at all in that time, leaving Rangiku with nothing to do during dinner shift, which becomes annoying. I know plenty of other people who's roommate players have also gone MIA or just don't bother posting to dinner without consulting the player of their roommate. Suggestions: More frequent activity checks would be really nice to get over this problem. Someone in chat suggested having one perhaps four or five weeks before each application cycle to clear out unplayed characters. It would also give the chance to change roommates more frequently if a characters is not being played. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	burningvigor 2009-04-16 07:30 am UTC (link)
	Hey! I'm sure you've seen the activity check we just put up, but doing one a month or so before apps open is also a good idea. I think you guys all know that you can feel free to nudge us about putting one up these days. XD;; (Reply to this) (Parent)

HI IT'S ME AGAIN don't kill me kingside 2009-04-12 05:19 am UTC (link)

Your name/handle: Lina E-Mail: lina.metallium@gmail.com AIM: madder sky Character(s) Played: Lelouch vi Britannia Specific Problem: Best weapons either accessible only through alchemists or radio clues, which is... limiting. Explanation: Basically what the above says. REALLY, it's just getting sort of ridiculous because there's a massive backlog of weapon requests annnd limitations due to, well, the inherent restrictions placed upon the weapon creation process. It's also really freaking unfair to the alchemists to stick them in weapon creation roles when I'm sure they'd rather be spending their time and energy in other pursuits, yeah? Also, radio stuff is generally limited and with how many damn characters there are, there are just... not enough things. And then also computer asplode. And yeah. My explanation is dying as I'm writing it and I'm not awake enough to go back and fix it, ahhhh. Suggestions: WELL, I was thinking of setting up a new NPC-- possibly some variant of monster?-- that could function as a weapon/item seller. The catch is that in return for the weapon or item requested, a curse is inflicted upon the applicant with a duration and severity appropriate for the complexity of the item requested/generally how useful it is/etc. It'd also have to be something tailored for the character to be as traumatizing (orrr not traumatizing but still disturbing, depending on just how awesome the item is) as possible. Some suggested curses (I brought this up in chat because I'm insane like that) would be like loss of memory or something precious, loss of hearing/sight/strength, maybe something as simple as blood loss (depends on the item), loss of coordination-- yes, fine, a lot of these have to do with some sort of loss. Seems fitting anyway since they're gaining something in return, right? Could also be something physically disfiguring (in effect during nights only and/or possibly only from the character's point of view-- I think it would be fun to fuck with people by making them think they're covered in bleeding sores or fur or rotting or something but to actually be totally physically fine/make other characters think they're monsters/etc.) or a kind of curse like the sort the grudge girl and that tattoo lady person inflicts-- possibly something even canon-specific? Tailoring the curse to the character and the item requested would be awesome, in other words, and yeah, it would be only temporary but leave them with the item and (hopefully) some emotional scars. It'd also free up the alchemists a bit and blah blah blah. It'd also be best if the NPC not tell them what their curse would be but tell them how long it'll last. Terms would obviously be agreed upon beforehand between the NPC mod and the player. So it... kind of like an M-U, in a way, but more accessible, temporary, and leaves behind a useful item. Would also obviously be available to muns who have already have M-U with some character but want to mess with another? |D?! Weapon sellers would have to be stationed somewhere they could be easily found, too, or at least stationed somewhere with some regularity that is within the main building. Maybe make it a maximum of three or five-ish requests per night per seller or something? I dunno. ... Ah, and if getting the item right off the bat is Not Cool because it implies less effort at first to get it, why not have the character get it halfway through their curse period or once the curse wears off? That'd still be a shorter wait than it is for the alchemists. Aha... ahahaha... haaaa. ._. As for the items themselves... obviously swords and melee stuff, guns (higher price for those) and other long range stuff-- I hesitate when it comes to explosives, but then again, seeing as how those tend to be one use only and they'd need to inflict the same trauma on themselves to get more, it could possibly work. Maybe also healing potions or amulets or something. Weapon/item seller. *shrugs* You know the kind of shit they sell in video games. OH, and if they come back for more items, the curses get worse. UM. I hope I've thought of everything, but if not, I can suggest more/someone can reply to this with their own thoughts. |D; Yes? Yes. Edited at 2009-04-12 05:26 am UTC (Reply to this) (Thread)

HI I HIT THE COMMENT LIMIT CAN YOU TELL kingside 2009-04-12 05:40 am UTC (link)

CURSES COULD MAYBE STACK IF THEY REQUEST MULTIPLE THINGS? Like I dunno, a gun, but the curse lasts longer/is worse if they also request additional ammo or something. Or stuff like that. Was also suggested in chat that for some items, just using them could maybe induce another curse. Um. I'd imagine that'd be a much less severe one since they'd have already gone through the initial thing, but yeah, something to consider. :x -- Another curse I was thinking of was the inability to recognize someone as... well, whoever it is they are. Or just genuinely being incapable of seeing them as who they truly are? So, yeah, like thinking they're an impostor the institute replaces the REAL insertnamehere with and the kind of paranoia/frantic worry/CRAZYASFUCK conversations that would spark while the curse was active. ... And then once it was over, lots of "... o wait that was you. Uh. Hi." I like mindfuckery, okay. D| Edited at 2009-04-13 11:14 pm UTC (Reply to this) (Parent)

(no subject) - allroadslead, 2009-04-17 07:45 pm UTC

(no subject) - kingside, 2009-04-17 07:54 pm UTC

blackberet 2009-04-14 05:45 pm UTC (link)

Your name/handle: Elisabeth E-Mail: false.goddess@gmail.com AIM: intrepidscrawl Character(s) Played: Meche, Indiana Jones Specific Problem: More information on the patient files would be helpful. Explanation: Getting their own patient files (or other patients') is a common goal for a lot of characters, but I know I've had several questions about what information should be in them, and I've seen questions from other players too. The mods have been great about giving guidance, but they'd probably have to answer fewer questions about this if a template were available. (Unless this really isn't coming up much at all? >___< In which case feel free to ignore this.) Suggestions: I think it's still good for us to run characters' files by the mods to make sure they're okay, but it would probably make it easier for mods and characters alike if there were a template available. Just like for apps, maybe the mods could post a sample file or two with a character's info filled in, and players could fill the template out for any file they wanted to have their character look at in detail. In fact, if they were kept short, every character could just have their file available either in their LJ or centralized in one Pyramid-Head-style OOC post; that would make it easier for doctors to have patients' information on hand too. And it would make it easier for patients to examine other characters' files with ease (they could still get permission from the other character's mun). Players could update the files periodically as needed. Things the file could address: - Patient's "real-life" history (briefly), including how and by whom they got admitted - Brief account of patient's delusions (i.e., canon--this section could just be implied to be on there, since it's available on Wiki and elsewhere) - Possibly a brief patient history at Landel's (info on major injuries?), including previous therapy sessions and maybe visitors - Dates, or some other way of keeping track of time since entry? I think Court's said this isn't on there, but it's good to mention in the template that that won't be available. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	lady_angelina 2009-09-08 02:22 am UTC (link)
	I'd like to see this, too. Also, maybe a link to a good example of an approved "real life" history, something that is a good example of what the mods are looking for in a "real life history," not unlike the examples of character applications on the community profile page. (Sorry for the rambly, nonsensical comment here. ^^;; ) (Reply to this) (Parent)

stringless_doll 2009-06-01 04:39 pm UTC (link)

Your name/handle: Sra E-Mail: decadent[.]illusions@gmail[.]com AIM: Zexified Character(s) Played: Badou, Nataku Specific Problem: What's in Patient Possessions? Explanation: Every time someone wants to raid Patient Possessions there's a new post in the lounge where anyone who wants to be raided has to reply, and sometimes there are mixed messages about what's allowed to be in boxes and what isn't. I know it doesn't happen often but it might help with some organization if everyone was on the same page? Suggestions: An information post where people can reply with what's in their character's box and whether or not it's stealable. Completely optional, of course, but it would make things easier for drive-by pilfering. (And people can reply to specific posts if they plan to steal things so it's easier to keep track of the current inventory.) (Reply to this) (Thread)

	otnemememento 2009-06-04 07:26 am UTC (link)
	OH GEEZ THIS YES PLEASE. I juuuuuuuust wrote a question about it on the FAQ. D: (Reply to this) (Parent)

(no subject) - lady_angelina, 2009-09-08 02:20 am UTC

toobothersome 2009-06-02 05:21 am UTC (link)

Your name/handle: Allie E-Mail: onlyonairplanes@gmail.com AIM: quantifythis Character(s) Played: Shikamaru Specific Problem: NS scheduling can be difficult for players with characters who don't ICly make NS plans. Explanation: Unlike day shifts, [free] tags aren't very effective for NS because of the wide variety of locations. Without directly contacting a player, it's almost impossible to have random encounters, and now that the mass adopt-my-character DS post exists, the etiquette about asking for NS plans isn't clearly defined. Forming groups on the go is very IC for many characters, especially those without canonmates or club affiliations, but the current setup makes it hard to do so. Suggestions: The DS plotting post is great, but at the beginning of DS, it's hard to know what a character might or might not plan to do once night falls. It would be v. convenient to have a second one go up around the start of NS (maybe during the dinner shift?) for people to plan random encounters--characters meeting up in hallways and forming spontaneous groups or the like. (Reply to this)

revolves 2009-06-04 07:52 pm UTC (link)

Your name/handle: Anduin E-Mail: revolves at live dot com AIM: These things are secret... Character(s) Played: Beyond Birthday, Haseo Specific Problem: The layout could use work. Explanation: Not only does it look a little "odd" with the posts squeezed into a tiny space and off to the side, but there are several things conspicuously missing: a sidebar, link for posting to the comm, tags on the posts, an even the screen name of the character that made each entry! This is seriously inconvenient. For one, it'd make stalking easier if I could just scroll through the main comm looking for characters' tags I'm interested in.... Suggestions: Add in the things mentioned and/or have someone design a new layout entirely. That's pretty much it, I think. :P (Reply to this) (Thread)

	screwthegods 2009-06-08 06:36 pm UTC (link)
	You could always do the style=mine thing on the end of the url? (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - revolves, 2009-06-09 03:30 am UTC

(no subject) - tiassa, 2009-06-13 02:48 am UTC

(no subject) - kingside, 2009-07-07 09:46 pm UTC

kingside 2009-06-10 06:07 am UTC (link)

Your name/handle: Lina E-Mail: lina.metallium@gmail.com AIM: madder sky Character(s) Played: Lelouch vi Britannia Specific Problem: Impossible to tell which items have been taken out of the rooms during NS without checking every single post. Explanation: Well, the above. This is a problem because people might end up mistakenly taking an item that is no longer there or otherwise noting one that isn't there, or possibly not noting one that is there that their character might otherwise have... noted. Inconsistencies are bad, and seeing as how items don't respawn until the following NS and that's... kind of a long wait, not to mention a hassle and a half, I thought it might be good to fix this? Suggestions: Well, kind of like the monster request post that goes up each NS, I was thinking maybe a general post in the lounge could be put up for item retrieval. People would comment with rooms as they're created. In response to that initial room comment, they'd comment again with which items their character took. Uh, a link might also be good, maybe. Other people who visit the same room could then reply to the same first room comment thing with what their characters took. This way, everything would be all in one place, and seeing as how it'd be easiest to just list the items taken, it'd be really easy to keep track of what is or isn't still in a room. Annnd yeah. Easy. :x ... ALSO, COULD YOU possibly maybe edit the supply lists in the info journal so that the second floor storage room one specifies which items are in cardboard boxes and which are in the cabinets? Also, the room description mentions plastic boxes, but the supply list mentions cardboard. WHICH IS IT? I sort of just lied and said that there are both plastic and cardboard boxes (because, IDK, some items might need to be stored in plastic boxes 'cause cardboard ones can, I dunno, get nommed through by vermin or whatnot), but I. I mean, it's just. Confusing. COULD YOU CLARIFY THAT, MAYBE? Hiding now. -- Oh, and could we also maybe get approximate numbers for how many of each item there are? ... Maybe? Okay, that request is entirely insane and you can ignore it entirely, but I. Figured it was worth a shot. I am so, so, so, so, so sorry for the neurotic questions, I swear. D| Edited at 2009-06-10 06:11 am UTC (Reply to this) (Thread)

perfectrecord 2009-06-14 04:39 pm UTC (link)

THIS. Especially on the numbers of items that are available for grabbing. Last time von Karma was in the Activities Shed, one other person had already been in there and had taken two of the metal bats. I figured it would be safe enough for him to take one of the bats and three of the baseballs (which I figured was a low enough arbitrary number), and then the same NS, he later went back to the shed to take one more bat to help him return to his room. Still, though I tried to make sure that I had him take only a conservative number of items, I felt kind of weird even doing it. Suppose several other characters had wanted to raid the same shed? =P It would be quite uncool to entirely clean out the whole place in one fell swoop, such that others can't take advantage of the supplies. =P (Reply to this) (Parent)

cigarettes_plz 2009-06-17 09:07 pm UTC (link)

Your name/handle: Sra E-Mail: decadent.illusions@gmail.com AIM: zexified Character(s) Played: Badou, Nataku Specific Problem: Not a lot going on with patients' "real" lives. Note: this is not a problem, just a suggestion. Explanation: Damned is supposed to mess with the patients psychologically, but it seems like (for most patients at least) once they get over something like a visitor shift it's easy to be convinced that what they remember is still real. Why make something like that up, right? Suggestions: Have patients occasionally remember things that could only have happened in their "real" lives. Little things like going to a restaurant they couldn't possibly have heard of, or the taste of some kind of foreign food, or even something big like having a "real" memory of an event swapped/in conjunction with the original. Leaving it up to the players' discretion would mean pretty much NO NPCing involved for another kind of mindfuck. As for how you'd go about figuring who gets to do this, I'd hope it was something that just happens to patients at random? This would be more traumatic for them than, say, a monster attacking them because there's no way some creature implanted the memory. So you'd either just leave it up to us or draw a random group and let them remember something from their "real" lives (at any time during the day or night) at the players' discretion. ...Actually, it would be even cooler if you started with characters who've been here the longest/are having doubts (just poll 'em maybe to find out) so it looks like the institute is actually working. Um, yeah. That's all I can think of right now. XD I just thought it was a cool idea. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	allroadslead 2009-06-19 05:33 pm UTC (link)
	dsasfsf CAN I JUST SECOND THIS HARDCORE omg yes pls. *__* (Reply to this) (Parent)

(no subject) - scarefaux, 2009-06-20 08:33 am UTC

(no subject) - opposingheaven, 2009-07-01 10:39 pm UTC

(no subject) - kingside, 2009-07-07 09:37 pm UTC

(no subject) - eco_mono, 2009-07-21 09:32 am UTC

stiffserpent 2009-07-08 05:30 pm UTC (link)

Your name/handle: Fly E-Mail: haboism at yahoo dot co dot uk AIM: Fireholly99 Character(s) Played: Solid Snake (stiffserpent) Specific Problem: Lack of an 'official' HMD. Explanation: damned, to my knowledge, has no official HMD system. While the apps weed out most of the bad players, HMDs are really good at keeping characters on a realistic track in terms of development and play style. Currently, players, if they want HMD, have to make a post for it in their character journal, which is very unlikely to garner useful feedback. You could argue that HMD causes wank, but considering how wank-free this game is, I think it's a chance worth taking. :) Suggestions: At preset intervals (maybe every two or three months?), the mods could make an HMD post to the Lounge for muns to ask for feedback on. This means RPers have a better chance of getting useful feedback and improving their game. It doesn't have to be mandatory, because the apps are good at weeding out fail players on their own - just something so that those players who do want feedback can ask for and get it. (Reply to this) (Thread)

scarefaux 2009-07-10 09:05 am UTC (link)

I would also really like something like this. I don't RP anywhere else, and I've only got two Damneders on my personal journal's friend list, so there's pretty much zilch point in me posting to those giant HMD memes that come around every so often and posting the link on my personal journal. I've noticed a majority of the critique posts don't seem to have anything at all. Maybe they're all private comments that were screened, or maybe they're like my posts- gathering dust. It's not that people don't want critique- it's just not something you post in the Lounge. I can also see the other side of the coin- some people don't want critique, and would rather just play however they durned well please. I'm a little like that myself- I'd like to hear what others have to say and see if there's validity in their comments, but if it's really going to ruin my fun, then I'll look for a compromise. I'd like it if it weren't mandatory- that way, those who would rather sit out can, but the rest of us can garner a few comments from our fellow Damned players. I know, I just repeated, like, everything you said, but I wanted to show some support. D: (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - firefly99, 2009-07-10 09:38 am UTC

(no subject) - lady_angelina, 2009-07-11 06:38 pm UTC

Yes, dumb idea, I know, but... XD; lady_angelina 2009-07-11 06:36 pm UTC (link)

Your name/handle: Angelina (lady_angelina) E-Mail: lady_angelina at livejournal dot com AIM: available upon request as needed, since this is a public entry (although if it's absolutely required here, please let me know, and I will list it) Character(s) Played: Manfred von Karma (perfectrecord) Specific Problem: The Application/Reading Update post can quickly become inconvenient to find after a few days. Explanation: Yes, I know, this isn't a terribly huge deal, and it really speaks more to my personal laziness than anything else, LOL. XD But I would like it to be more convenient to find the post after a few days have passed, than having to bookmark it in my browser (which is virtually useless now because there are hundreds of bookmarks on that tab) or load several pages (such as the tags page, etc.) to track it down. Suggestions: Frankly, I would love to see a link to it on damned's profile page, right next to where it says that apps are open/closed. Because the initial app post for each cycle tends to link to new pages with reading updates for the cycle in question, this would only need to be updated once per cycle. Edited at 2009-07-11 06:42 pm UTC (Reply to this) (Thread)

	purpletaint 2009-07-15 04:59 am UTC (link)
	I don't know if this is exactly what you're talking about, but sliding to the side of the lounge, and clicking on applications (instead of app. received, because that usually isn't updated as much), usually pulls it up as the first or second post. =D (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - lady_angelina, 2009-07-15 05:14 am UTC

HI IT'S ME AGAIN kingside 2009-07-22 01:43 am UTC (link)

Your name/handle: Lina E-Mail: lina.metallium@gmail.com AIM: madder sky Character(s) Played: Lelouch Specific Problem: NEEDS MOAR TAGS Explanation: We must obsessively organize entries on the bulletin and main Damned comm some more. Mainly the bulletin. Suggestions: SO LIKE since I apparently spend 99% of my waking hours on the bulletin, I was thinking that it would be neat-o if we could have day tags in addition to name tags for the person posting it? So that we can know which day a certain bulletin tag was made, which would make it easier for the muns of those crazybastardswhoremembereverythingwrittenever to flip back to a specific day and see what was written then, thereby making it, you know. Easy. And organized. ... ALSO, while I was mentioning this in chat, people brought up the possibility of day tags for the main comm, too. Location tags were also mentioned, but IN BOTH THESE CASES, MAYBE A POLL WOULD BE YEAH? Since yes, things. ... BUT REALLY, DAY TAGS FOR THE BULLETIN WOULD BE FAB because there's no real way to tell when a particular post was made unless you check the date it was posted, and that just gets messy and weird so. Plz day tags in bulletin. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Re: HI IT'S ME AGAIN lady_angelina 2009-07-22 06:19 pm UTC (link)

YES! I've been wanting this so much. Location/day number tags for the main comm, especially. The only drawback I can see is that there is a max limit on tags (will have to check on the exact number), so this could get maxed out too quickly. ^^;; EDIT: According to the "Limits" section of this FAQ, the max number of individual tags that Damned can have as a Paid account is 1200 (should it ever revert to Basic, it would be 1000). Edited at 2009-07-22 06:25 pm UTC (Reply to this) (Parent)

tiassa 2009-07-27 11:47 pm UTC (link)

Your name/handle: tiassa E-Mail: tiassa [at] gmail AIM: tiassa / mudo never works Character(s) Played: Yue/Yukito, Hanatarou, Ayumu, Dr. Kisugi Specific Problem: NPC mods need more of a voice. Explanation: The biggest example of this is the zombie event: NPC mods had exactly the same notice as regular players about it, and were suddenly expected to start playing zombies (and had to ask to get actual stats for them, which caused a lot of confusion at the outset). But in general, we don't really have any say in what's going on, or even all that much more information than all the other players. If we're going to be expected to run events and whatnot, it would be nice to be able to have input in what we do, or at least get notice of what's going to happen so we can work out details ahead of time, rather than have a retcon-wave after the fact. Suggestions: Include NPC mods in plotting (like, say, get upcoming-plot discussions going on the community or have a group chat session). Give us more details of the setting/game/plot/whatever so we have something to work with and don't have to go bugging a mod for stuff - this is especially a problem with Doyleton, where there's barely any detail at all on the buildings/NPCs/etc. I know I became an NPC mod because I wanted to be able to help drive the game and make it more fun for people, so...please, let me help? (Reply to this) (Thread)

tadity 2009-07-27 11:50 pm UTC (link)

Seconding this. Doyleton is probably the hardest in terms of lacking detail, but even something as simple as npcing a regular monster can be difficult when we have no idea of what they can do/how they attack/their general intelligence/etc. I know I've been bombarded more than once with questions I haven't been able to answer from players who are only trying to understand the limitations...and most are surprised when I say that as an npc mod, I only have the same monster info that players do. -Tad (Reply to this) (Parent)

(no subject) - jennifer, 2009-07-28 12:04 am UTC

(no subject) - stopcounting, 2009-07-28 02:08 am UTC

(no subject) - murasaki_kaze, 2009-07-29 04:54 am UTC

(no subject) - burningvigor, 2009-07-29 09:47 am UTC

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