IC; CITY NEWSLETTER.
» DELIVERED TO MAILBOXES — FEBRUARY 1ST
Delivered to all residents' homes on the morning of February 1 is the following newsletter, folded neatly into thirds and tucked into a mailbox, doorframe, or similar depending on where the character lives.
| CITY NEWSLETTER, VOL. 3 |
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KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR ICE
Winter weather persists here in the City, with freezing rain forecasted for much of the month and possibility of snowfall in the third week. Residents should remember to leave faucets dripping if you plan to be out of your house for a while, and make sure to dress warmly to avoid the possibility of colds or flus! Weather-appropriate clothing can be found in boutiques and clothing stores all around the city, including in the mall, so if you're lacking a good wardrobe for the season, make sure to stock up on the necessities and avoid letting your nose and toes freeze! |
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UPCOMING EVENTS
The weather might be cold, but our hearts are always warm. Coming up this month is the holiday of Valentine's Day, a day meant to celebrate the loved ones in your life and exchange words of warm affection that can chase away even the deepest chill. Stores should be well stocked with chocolates, flowers, and message heart candies, so if you have a special someone in your life and want to let them know how you feel, stop by and stock up on everything you'll need. Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for more news on this lovey-dovey holiday; if you play your cards right, you may even get a kiss or two out of it! |
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THE CITY HOTEL
Renovations at the City's very own five-star hotel are scheduled to be completed this month, and the hotel will be open for guests toward the middle of February! If you're interested in a staycation, or maybe even a little romantic getaway in time for the Valentine's season, stay tuned for invitations to the hotel's grand opening festivities! All residents will be invited, so make sure to keep checking your mailboxes between now and the 17th to see what the theme of the event will be!
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The newsletter does not come in an envelope and has no return address, so it's difficult to know who it came from. Copies of the newsletter can also be found pinned to the bulletin boards near the city kiosks and in some of the entrances of apartment buildings or offices.
Additionally, residents who pay especially close attention to what apps and files are stored on their devices may notice that on February 1, there's a new file available. The file name is "MEMO 0213.txt," and its contents are as follows:
IN MEMORANDUM
ATTN: G. REDACTEDR
G,
Got your memo about the "REDACT in the machine." The dataREDACTEDR team says they're on it, but considering you spotted the issue before they did, I can't say I have a lot of confidence. All this the month after they raise a fuss about compliance and storing iteration data in proximity to resident data too, eh?
I do recall getting a file forwarded from REDAC about REDACT capacity. Remind me to find that file and see if it has a connection. In theory the system is supposed to dump everything every time an iteration is REDACTEDR , but if there are pockets of data being stored in places they're not supposed to be, maybe that explains your REDACT .
L
P.S. Please tell the REDACTEDRED team they have to stop coming up with such stupid ways to REDACTEDREDA the residents when an iteration fails. These are real people in real bodies, even if the REDACT isn'tREDACTEDR .
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OOC; A LOOK TO THE FUTURE.
» DISTRICT 5 — FEBRUARY 2024
KARAOKE ROOMS.
The District 5 karaoke parlor has a number of themed rooms of different sizes, meant to fit anywhere from two to ten people at once. You might find a room with neon lights and a disco ball, or one themed after race cars, or one that looks like a pharaoh's tomb. Beginning on February 1, characters are able to access the karaoke rooms and sing to their hearts' content! See the February TDM for more information.
FIVE-STAR HOTEL.
This luxurious hotel, which stands just a couple of blocks away from the convention center, is a marvel of elegant architecture with its leaded windows, stained glass accents, and sweeping balustrade along the staircase leading up to the entryway. Inside, the hotel is similarly appointed with plush velvet chairs, marble flooring, and polished wood furniture where travelers can sit and rest their weary selves. To the right is the check-in desk and concierge; to the left is a lobby and waiting area; and directly ahead are double doors opening out into an enclosed courtyard, where travelers might have a drink or a meal when the weather is good.
Unfortunately, the elevator at the hotel is currently out of commission until February 17, and the double doors at the top of the lobby staircase are locked and unable to be opened. Characters are able to spend time in the lobby or explore the staff areas behind the desk, but will not be able to proceed any deeper into the hotel.
» WEATHER SUMMARY — FEBRUARY 2024
The month of February will be cold and wet, with highs in the high 40s F (around 10°C) and lows in the low 40s F (around 4°C). Characters can expect to see rain for many of the days in the early half of the month and heavy cloud cover on days without rain. Toward the end of the month, there will be additional snowfall beginning on the 21st and continuing through the 23rd; once the snow is done falling, a heavy rainfall on the 25th will basically guarantee an icy mess in the city through the end of the month. Temperatures are a little higher than December or January, though, so at least characters will be more comfortable outdoors while slipping and sliding around the sidewalks.
As always, a day-by-day breakdown of the city's weather can be found indicated on the game calendar
Additionally, in keeping with Valentine's Day, characters may find that stores and businesses are decorated with hearts and lace and flowers, and that they occasionally stick their hands in their pockets and find candy hearts with messages on them. These might be generic candy heart messages ("BE MINE," "LOVE U," etc.) or might be more specific messages conveyed to them from the heart of another character in the city. The message might even be long and require several candy hearts to be arranged in the right order in order to decode.
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OOC; EVENT PROSPECTIVE — A MOON WITHOUT A SKY TO HOLD IT IN.
» HINTS & CLUES — CHARACTER OBSERVATIONS.
CONTENT WARNINGS: None
Though the upper floors of the City's five-star hotel remain closed to the public until renovations are finished in the latter part of the month, the lobby, reception desk, and hotel bar are open and available for residents to explore.
The hotel bar is, in fact, just a bar, albeit an extremely fancy one—it has a long, dark wood bartop with plush chairs along it, as well as a number of more intimate booths and tables where characters can sit alone or in groups and enjoy the atmosphere. The lights are always dimmed just enough to make the atmosphere feel warm and inviting, but not dark enough to make it difficult to see, and there's music coming through invisible speakers overhead, just loud enough to be heard without intruding on conversation. The liquor is of excellent quality and not at all in short supply, and the small attached kitchen serves high-end canapés that are always perfectly paired with a character's drink of choice.
The lobby area itself is a marvel of luxury architecture, with smooth stone floors, tasteful columns, and windows that let in plenty of natural light. Across from the reception desk is a sitting area with plush chairs and loveseats, bookshelves with books available for borrowing, pleasantly warm reading lights, and rugs that perfectly complement the decor without drawing too much attention to themselves. Characters are welcome to lounge there as long as they like—they can pick up a book, engage in conversation, or simply sit and watch passersby in the hotel or on the sidewalk outside.
Lastly, the reception desk is equally luxuriously appointed, although designed a bit more for function over form. There is a handwritten check-in register, although the list of names is currently blank, and the keys to the doors are delicately-crafted bronze keys that hang from a rack behind the desk. Again, none of the rooms are accessible just yet, but characters are welcome to examine the keys. None of the rooms appear to be accessible by keycard; in fact, there isn't even a computer in the reception area, nor in the adjoining staff room.
There is, however, a notebook tucked into the topmost drawer next to the check-in register. The notebook has no name and the handwriting is not recognizable; most of the entries are blotted out as if by spilled water, but the last few are legible. They read as follows:
#846
Feb 21, 3064
Sometimes I feel like we're doing well and other times I feel like we've never had any idea what we're doing at all. "The good of the many over the good of the few," I get it, utilitarian bullshit. It still feels bad.
#847
Feb 24, 3064
I read back through some of the records from the RED iterations, back toward the beginning when they were still using the blanks instead of bringing REDACTEDR in in their REDACT REDACT . I've read most of them before, but mostly to get ideas for what NOT to do or for modifications to make to the REDACTEDR , never to try and figure out whether the ones who came before us had any idea what they were doing either. Turns out maybe they were treading water too.
REDACT says that the data REDAC issue from the last iteration isn't getting any better no matter how many times they try to wipe the servers. I guess no matter how much we supplement our server farms, they're still probably not built to hold a century's worth of REDACTEDR data PLUS the RED data PLUS the coordinates and REDACTEDREDAC data it takes to zap the residents in. Data from the REDACTE keeps somehow getting integrated into the city REDACTEDR data. One of the residents found a photo of the head research team in the museum last week. Luckily they just assumed they were residents from a past iteration but fuck, right?
I don't know how much longer we're going to be able to keep this up.
#848
Mar 1, 3064
REDAC called. The REDAC reserves back home are empty. Probably only a matter of time now.
#849
Mar 12, 3064
Director T reamed out Dr. P from the REDACTEDRED team the other day about the REDACTE methods they're using. I could hear him yelling all the way down the hall. I never paid that much attention to the REDACTEDREDA except when they were referenced in 949.38, but after all that I went and re-read the summaries. Way back at the beginning most of the REDACTEDRED REDACT used to be either biodome failures or terraforming failures. Acid rain, volcanos, anoxia. Societal failures too, like CE-11. But the biodome is stable now, and we try not to let residents get to the point of a major societal collapse even when things are going badly, so the REDACTEDRED team has been coming up with increasingly ridiculous events to REDA RED the iteration. Last time it was aliens with lasers.
Anyway, Dr. P said something about the REDACTEDREDAC toll it takes on their team to be in charge of REDACTEDRE iterations and REDACTEDREDACTE residents. He's probably not wrong, but what about the REDACTEDREDAC toll on the residents themselves? We're already putting them through all the shit we put them through and on top of that they have to spend their last moments REDACT ? Dr. P always says they won't remember it when they re-enter their REDACTEDR , but after what happened during CE-41 I can't imagine why they want to take the risk.
Utilitarian bullshit, all the way down. |
The notebook cannot be removed from the hotel, but characters may photograph the entries or copy them over to any other medium. The notebook itself is a simple hard-cover notebook without any identifying features, but judging by the quality of the paper inside, it does not seem to be an especially expensive or high-quality one—very much functional as opposed to aesthetic. Overall, it does not seem to fit in with the atmosphere of the hotel in any way.
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MODERATOR COMMENTS.
» NOTES AND REMINDERS
Hello, residents! A quick note from your moderator team:
Beginning in February, characters may be able to stumble across some video footage of themselves. This could be in the form of an unlabeled VHS or DVD in their home, something found in the media store, an observation made on a security camera somewhere, or even just video clips found on their personal devices.
These clips can be anything from innocuous home-video type footage of friends hanging out, birthday parties, etc. to slightly more creepy-feeling stalker footage as though the character is being filmed from a distance. They may be alone or may be with other residents. However, one thing is for certain: this video is not footage of the version of this resident who currently exists in the city.
Essentially, what characters may discover is evidence of the fact that they were once part of a previous iteration (as may have already been evidenced by the dorm rooms characters were able to find following the October event)—evidence that their previous iteration self lived a life here in the city, had friends, laughed and cried and fought and all the other experiences that make up the human experience.
These videos will not vanish, and watching them has no particular effect on a character, except to possibly make them feel strangely nostalgic (or conversely, like they're watching a stranger—that's up to you as a player).
» THE STATE OF THE GAME
We also come to you this month with a fairly significant update about the state of the game.
Firstly, we want to say an enormous thank you to all of the players and characters who have joined us since we opened in June of last year. As mods, we have had a lot of fun seeing the game grow, CR develop, and players come up with interesting ideas about how to interact with the setting. These last several months have challenged us creatively in the best ways, and we are very grateful to have you all with us. It is therefore bittersweet for us to announce that The City will be entering its endgame phase, with a goal of closing at the end of June 2024.
We currently have events planned for the months of February through June, and we fully plan to keep the game running until then! However, there will be some administrative changes to facilitate this endgame phase.
TEST DRIVE MEMES:
Along with the February TDM already posted, there will be TDMs in March and April
There will be no TDM in May or June
APPLICATIONS:
We will continue taking applications in February and March
If you or a friend or castmate previously dropped from the City and want to come back for a last hurrah, we will offer priority to reserves made by those characters and will not require a new application to be written
We will not take applications in April or May, but will continue to allow returns by characters previously dropped from the City
We will not take any applications nor accept previously dropped characters in June
ACTIVITY CHECK:
Activity check for February through May will be check-in only, unless you want to claim overflow points, in which case you are welcome to continue submitting normal AC
There will be no activity check at all in June
MEMES:
Memes scheduled to be posted in February through April will go up as intended
There will be no memes posted in May or June
Once the game has reached its conclusion, comments will be closed on all mod-operated pages (with very limited exceptions). However, the communities will remain open and characters will be able to continue wrapping up threads!
NOTE: All of the above applies only if we continue to have enough active characters to keep events moving. If the City drops below 30 total characters, then we will just go ahead and proceed directly to closing without posting events for subsequent months. We absolutely understand that not everyone will want to stick it out through endgame, and we encourage players to choose whatever works best for them! We just want to be upfront about this so that if this situation arises, no one will be caught unawares.
Comments directly to this post are screened as always, but we also have an unscreened top-level comment below that players are welcome to use to ask any questions about the endgame, scheduling, housekeeping, etc.
Thank you for playing with us, and we hope you'll stick with us to see it through to the end!
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citycenter) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
cityooc2024-01-31 09:02 pm
QUESTIONS.
no subject
1) Will previously-dropped characters be permitted to return with their activity rewards points intact, or will they have to start over from zero?
2) Does this mean the rule that a dropped character cannot be reapplied for until two app periods have passed has been rescinded?
no subject
2) Also yes! Dropped characters can be re-"applied" (essentially just claimed, we won't ask anyone to rewrite an app) at any time, the delay period no longer applies.
Re: QUESTIONS.
1. Is the alcohol at the karaoke parlor and hotel subject to the same scarcity as luxury items in the stores, or can residents get sloshed as much as they like?
2. Will character actions affect how the endgame goes? E.G. if they continue to try to find ways to stress test the simulation, get story clues with AC points, etc, will those things have story consequences?
no subject
2) Character actions do have an impact on the outcome of the game! We'll share more information about how in the satisfaction survey that will be posted on March 1.
no subject
no subject
VHS/Video clips question!
Edit: also, for the troublemakers this month. What if enough people/enough power was put to the double doors to open them early? Still not possible?
no subject
As for the double doors, we didn't plan this upcoming event in a way that would facilitate that, but now that we know residents are intentionally trying to stress test the city we will try to find ways to incorporate more opportunities for that into the remaining events!
no subject
Hotel question!
And while the double doors at the top of the stairs are closed up, can anything be slipped underneath it to see if it gets moved (so it's sticking out still and can be seen the other side)? Or can something like a thin stick (like a wooden skewer) slipped near the hinges to see if it gets broken (via the doors being opened!! in secret!!).
Someone has too much time on their hands.
no subject
For the first question, little things like hiding the keys or setting up liquor bottles along the reception desk won't necessarily cause problems, but at midnight they would get reset to their normal locations the instant Robby closed his eyes or glanced away. Basically what's typical of the city at this point.
For the other things: yes, characters can definitely put something in the hinges or under the double doors to see if it moves.
During the day, there wouldn't be any activity there, no breakage of the skewer nor movement of the paper (or whatever) under the door. At night, however, if a character were to stay up and keep watch, they might be able to see the paper be tugged under the door and out of sight. They also might notice the faint sound of footsteps from the other side or a shadow under the crack in the door like someone is standing there for a moment before they walk away. They wouldn't ever see the door open, but if they were to sleep there overnight and check in the morning, they might find that the skewer has been broken to indicate that the doors have opened at some point during their sleep.
And if anyone wants to get really into it, if a character were to sleep in the lobby, they might even wake up to find that someone (or something) has put a note in their hand or pocket—it would be difficult to read, like trying to read in a dream, but they might be able to make out bits and pieces of a message: No room for you here. This will only work if they sleep in the actual hotel overnight, though, and definitely wouldn't happen every night leading up to the 17th, so players are welcome to mess around with it.
Let us know if you have any other questions!