Sutoratosu

just a heads up: don't be surprised if I take longer responding than usual. I've kinda got some stuff that needs taking care of... I already know what the full gist of my response will be composed of, I simply need to find an actual moment where I'll be able to slip away and write it up.

When for the sheer sake of game-play and no justifiable reason actually realted to the plot, the game has the MC doing virtually ALL the god damn work throughout the entire story. I'm talking shit like having to take on missions and jobs that technically speaking, you logically wouldn't be qualified for or make no real sense for YOU to be assigned to... Basically forcing something into the plot that is entirely unneeded and unwarranted simply to pad out the Game Time, instead of actually thinking of logical branches the story could've actually taken and made more sense... My biggest offender- all the games of the main Pokemon Series. There is a TV trope for this, and Pokemon is absolutely in love with it. Where else can a ten year old kid go around, fighting criminals and terrorists, doing odd jobs for certain professionals (IE, favors for gym leaders) who are honestly going to probably be better suited for the damn job they're trying to pawn off to a kid, and watch as all the forms of law enforcement sit back and do virtually... nothing about the problems plaguing the region... with the exception of a single man called looker, who even then, only swoops in after you've done the dirty work... And pulling some crap explaination like "Oh, well, you're playing as the chosen one" or "You're a prodigy and so you're just better suited" really stops being able to justify things after a certain point if it isn't done well... which it really isn't most of the time in pokerman. You just go around fighting folks for the hell of it, and hell, in most games it's never even explicitly stated that your destined to do something great or to be a hero in a time of crisis... and more just left up to the imagination ((That said though, there are some exceptions such as Black and White and possibly D/P/Pt, as I'm fairly certain Cynthia says something about you being born for a powerful purpose at Spear pillar in one of them))

I know I probably won't...

Oh lord... it's already begun XD

Ethic: "Magician, I choose you! Use Illusion!" Magician Ignored Ethic's orders! Magician used... Illusion! A wild Slender Man appeared! A wild Slender Man used creepy-ass stare down! What... don't you all blame me... someone had to do to use the Tall Man meme eventually XD

Ethic gave no response as looked over the scene. Whatever was the trigger for the trap could be any number of things- a pressure plate camouflaged with the floor, some type of wire that reset... or most likely, perhaps those gargoyles standing at the end of the hall. The idea of asking her to go into actual detail and not just fucking hand wave it off as simply as she had crossed his mind... but he shot it down. No point in wasting the breath. He called up the Magician to the forefront of his mind once more. The Arcane Lord stepped forward, just at the edge of the corridor. And he concentrated. A shimmer he alone could see filled the air before him as he formed a veil, about the same size of himself, filled it with the programming for it's image. Something wasn't right though. Usually the process went smooth enough that the change was complete and near instant when he focused... but before him stood nothing but a blizzard of static like someone had cut off the reception on an old television console. "Fuck a duck..." He cursed under his breath. He tried to resend the mental command line. Still static. Again he tried, this time baring his canines as he virtually bombarded the damn thing with as much visual sensory information as he could concoct at once. Not even a single flurry of the snow changed. "Screw it." He said, reeling back with his fist before sending a quick jab colliding into the mass of black of white chaos, watching as the veil cracked and shattered at the force of his blow, though he felt no impact, just his hand striking thin air. Countless shards of the shimmering air cascaded onto the dark floor... and then simply vanished. "Of all the times for it to start acting up, you've got to be-" trust no one and nothing. He stopped right then and there, teeth grinding top to bottom as he considered the advisory once again. "You've got to be kidding me, thats just bullshit... what, are our abilities going to start going on the fritz all of a sudden? It fucking worked earlier...it worked throughout all the other damn circles. Of all the ridiculous, underhanded shit I have seen in all the other god damn circles combined, this right here has got the be the single most..." He steadied himself, trying again. Getting mad wouldn't solve anything- only make it worse. He knew that from plenty of experience down here. Again, the veil formed as he concentrated. And so did the static this time as well... but it was moving. Pulsating... no, not pulsating, growing. As Ethic watched, the same familiar mass of white and black chaos from before slowly began to elongate, reaching higher and higher into the air as it stretched out, arms and legs forming as it increased in it's slender girth. The length of the body and limbs was...utterly impossible for it to be human. Ethic thought it was some type of manifestation of a demon or something at first. At least the colors filled in their monochrome theme. "Yeah... that's reeeeal funny; laugh it up you fucking maze." Before Ethic, now fully developed, stood a being bedecked in a simple plain suit, Pearly white skin stretched across a thin and gangly frame, a featureless, pale face staring down at the man and his ally with a sort of malice that needed no eyes or mouth to be expressed. The sort of malice that simply radiated off in every direction as was felt by any who dared draw close. Ethic held the thing's- no, he knew the name of this thing... but he chose not to acknowledge it- gaze as slowly, the Tall Man leaned down, getting in close... Nearly pressing the silky white of his face against the dark chocolate of Ethic's. For a minute... he thought he felt an exhale of raspy breath on his face. And the moment after, he had reason to believe he hadn't been wrong... a dark chasm was beginning to spread on the thing's barren mug, skin tearing as if it had never developed to accommodate the opening of a jaw, more raspy breath accumulating on Ethic's brow as he stood there. Motionless. It had to be his head though. Had to be the mental effects of the image. The magician was incapable of emulating sound or physical sensation- only visuals... that breath had to have beem his mind filling in the blanks using sensory data that only existed in his head right now. It had to be... had to be...had to... "This hill... thinks I've come all this way just to have my powers fucked with..." He said, not breaking Eye contact with the demon's terribly close face. Even if it wasn't real, even if it was some strange construct crafted by the Magician's glitch in the matrix... he wasn't going to give it a chance to move unseen. "Annie, explain what exactly happens when you try to walk down the corridor. The walls close in and force you to retreat- but did you notice anything else? Like something changing with the movement or light of the statues' eyes, or a click from the floor?" If there had ever been any joviality in his voice, it was gone now.

1. To be honest, I'd be far more invested in seeing a reboot rather than something entirely new. It just seems like... completely scraping all traces to the original story would be far more of a waste than an improvement, given all the effort everyone of us spent. So I'd be down with the Reboot Option. 2. 3. Yeah... yeah, they indeed became a problem. I'm in favor of a separate thread for it all from to get go this time to help keep it better organized. 4. Kick ass story, creativity, a few darker sections here and there so that everything isn't always sunshine and rainbows. Basically, the standard Stratos Package of expectations I'm sure that either way though, I won't be dissapointed with this. 5. Eh... not really. If you've already got a list of things you intend to fix and whatnot, I don't really see what I could say to add to it that you probably haven't already, so... nope.

well, I apparently posses some type of wings and can wield a sword... not too bad a deal. I could become the next Sephiroth if I cut one off XD

alright then.

Closure? I'm honestly just sad more than anything else... this was definitely among my favorites, if not the favorite out of all of them... Oh well though... Like dobby said, perhaps someday, someone will revive it... I'm usually not the naive type, but I'll hold out hope that it happens eventually. Participating in this thing with all of you guys, from start to premature end, was without a doubt one of the funnest experiences I have ever had, either on the internet or off of it. Well folks... it was indeed an honor roleplaying with all of you in this. Nevermind, Ninja'd by the messiah Chim. Yeah, he made some strange profile update a few days ago...ever since, I haven't seen or heard anything of him. Well... I can't believe I'm saying this, but... if it's needed, I could make an exception to my retirement and try to help out with keeping this going long enough for you to return, chim... I have no idea what jory was ultimately planning, but... if it's needed, I'd be more than willing to. Like I said, this was one of my favorites.

Well, I was kinda trying to wait for someone to do something about the Hypa Beam and start the chain so that I could finish this all in one shot, but... seeing as how no one has and it's been 2 weeks or so... @Hiss & Exlink: I'll try to have an update up for you guys sometime either today or tomorrow, depending on how my workload is looking. There's really no sense in making you two wait any longer just because you happened to be a bit behind the others.

Oh, sorry, didn't notice this had some more talk in it... I was too busy realizing how much I genuinely liked Azauqyar ;-; anyways, seems Commander has already swooped in like Batman and touched on a lot of the major stuff... now, to business: 1. I'm gonna have to agree with Darvan here- the active population of the forum seems to have died off a bit since this was first up and running. It would be a wiser decision to stick with either just three playable kingdoms, seeing as how if the basic positions are going to be structured like before, we probably still won't have enough people to fill every slot anyway. Though honestly, what should decide it is whether or not you intend to hold an interest check. Like Commander said, things have gotten VERY slow around here, but who knows how many new people might be interested? 2. I'm honestly on the fence about this one. On the other hand, yeah, it could get someone out early... but who says it has to? In real conflict, while capitals falling is always a major blow, it isn't in itself nessacarilly the death blow. important people can escape, forces can be left in other areas and still have the will to fight. Even if a capital is taken, there's no saying that it wouldn't be possible for a resistance to form somewhere. Freedom Fighters can be born. I honestly think it would make things a bit more interesting if we kept it like before in that regard and didn't give any capital protection. But again, I'm abit on the fence with this one. There's just far too many variables. I'd honestly be in more favor of leaving it alone since we had no real protection clause in the original anyway. 3. My advice is to make as much history as you need to give a sufficient painting of the world and the premise, not so much that we drown in detail, but enough that it's short and sweet and we get the basic idea, but there's still plenty of room for the world and the lore to be expanded by players. and like Commander touched on, those who are chosen are king should have at least a bit of say in things regarding the kingdom. 4. Gah... this is the one thing I really struggled back and forth with my oppinion on back then. On the one hand, it was kinda nice having the freedom to be able to write that many characters and experiment with the connections... but that's just me- someone who has had ample amounts of time to bunker down and get some experience and learn from his mistakes. More seasoned players may or may not appreciate a large possibility for characters, however it can cause quite an issue for newer players who are still getting the hang of everything and aren't quite sure how to maintain everything... Ergo, for that reason, I will have to agree to what the others have expressed in limiting this to 1-2 characters max per person. It'll be less chance for new people to get in over their heads and bite off more than they chew at once. Well... there's the answers... and Commander has hit a lot of points... but -one thing you may also want to consider is the battle system. I'm probably a bit biased cause I was never really a fan of fights being written out of the public veiw and then just put up, rather than the two parties involved duking it out post by post... I don't know, for some reason it doesn't feel right. Regardless of my personal feelings though, it's something to consider. While yes, PMs and summaries might be quicker, having the fights actually occur in real time in the thread tends to be far more engaging. People are free to think and strategize and get a bit creative in how they fight- even develop a signature style for themselves, something which the previous system wasn't too entirely accommodating off. I guess what it really boils down to is honestly more of a question of Individuality versus speed and efficiency, but still, it's something to possibly consider at least revisiting. -Also, I'd like to propose that Legends be removed as a choice for player characters. as much fun as I had playing azauqyar, it honestly boils down to alot of the same concept as why I support the idea of a max of 2 pcs- seasoned players will have better instincts and enough restriction to play the characters well without getting carried away and godmodding or being sueish, however new people most definitely will not. If you really wanted to though, it would probably be possible to just offer the legends to more experienced players only, but even still... if one kingdom starts out off the bat with a legend on their side, and go up against one that doesn't- well that's like giving someone a tank loaded with a full fuel tank and shells, and the giving their opposing party nothing but a pistol. There's just a huge balance risk which is too easy to occur when people have legends. It would probably be less stressful in the long run to forgo them. -Like commander said, it may be an idea to consider scraping the original plotline and plans and simply starting fresh. If this is going to be a conquest game, then it only makes sense to let it play out like one and give players the most influence on how it turns out, rather than trying to steer the plot towards a direction that kinda goes against the original premise. simply controlling major events such as natural disasters and legends rising, etc, to throw wrenches in people's plans and mess with them to keep folks on their toes every now and then can be well enough. And that's about all I have seeing as how it's late.

"But... what good is that power if you can be taken down with a silenced shot and the element of surprise though?" Of course she didn't dare voice that. Chances were she might've gotten a demonstration- Suicide by Goddess wasn't on her bucket list though. She simply stared at the young woman- no, diety...?No? oh, whatever -as alexus and someone else she hadn't noticed before conversed. "And how is it even possible for a deity become mortal... doesn't that defy the whole point of religion- the idea of something greater, of something undying? Something that can and will forever outlast the mortal coil? What good is the fear of god if god can be assassinated like any-" She Stopped herself, shaking her head as she averted her gaze; as if that would send the train of thought away like some rebuked vagrant. It wasn't like this was really the time for blasphemy... Whatever was going, it would probably be better if she just kept quiet and went with it.

Well, I'm honestly just waiting for the main event now to be honest. And it seems like we've already gotten from Alexus the majority of information she has to offer and all, so... Eh, if no one else does anything, I'll probably think of something more I can have Arya do or say. Right now though the mental wheels are rather slow. EDIT: Wait, wait... I think something is coming..... EDIT2: Nope, sorry guys... false alarm I think. Nevermind. Had to dig deeper, but I found something.

Gonna be frank and just outright admit that the only way I'd consider joining into a revamp of this is if I'm presented some evidence that things have been revised and the issues that held this thing back from realizing the full potential possible for the basic premise (*Cough* PMD meets Game of Thrones *Cough*) have all been addressed and resolved. I mean. I'm gonna be that one guy. The basic concept that this RP was founded on was something that was not only pretty creative, but original as well. It took something like Mystery Dungeon, but expanded upon that type of world design by adding in actual politics and warfare... Like I said, it was like Game of Thrones, just with Pokemon instead of people. But sadly, the way most of it was executed was what brought us down in the end. If some of the mechanics and policies and other stuff had been better ironed out and had more time spent developing them before everything was released, hell, who knows, it might've even become my favorite RP down here... second to Academy, but I don't exactly know the situation there anymore... Trust me, I know from raw experience that it is far better to work out the majority of your mechanics to completion before releasing an RP, and then simply spend the beginning bit of time fine tuning things that were either unforeseen or you could only notice when the story actually started, then to rush out of excitement and put something up out of ambition before everything has been finished, and then have to spend a bunch of time after it starts constructing the things that should've already been built. IT's like allowing a family to move into a house that only has the basic structure finished, but none of the essentials. Just not a good idea. And if anyone doesn't believe old stratos, here ((Regarding the point of not rushing your work, not the house thing)) That right there is the veyr definition I'm talking about. I had done barely anything to flesh out the idea, but I was so ambitious and excited about the idea, I decided to try and put it up anyways. And you know what happened? When Hukuna stepped in and started asking questions to check the integrity of the world building on the thought behind it, it fell apart as I came up with BS off the top of my head to answer him. And you know what happened then? I learned that's not how you start up an RP, not if you don't want to hit rough water instantly. You can't just slap down the idea on paper and expect it to spring up fully formed on the forums. No, you gotta work if you wanna see your baby come to life. Nothing comes free in this world, not even stories. Spending the time, blood, sweat, and tears building a world is hard. Hosting is also hard. But if you persevere, it will be far more rewarding in the end product than if you cut corners and rushed things. So yeah. there's my oppinion. TL;DR- Show me this thing has received a coat of polish and the revamping it needed, and I'll be more than happy to show you a character application.

And so he gets serious. and now... I may finally begin to present the true end product of his long journey... The Fool has already passed through the gates of Judgement. Now all that remains is The World

Ethic's face darkened as he thought about it. He didn't even lose a single bit of his stride though. "It simple." He answered. "Stealth is our most optimal path here. Whether it's Friend or Foe, I'll do what I can to ensure that we'll stay unseen if our paths cross with the others. Force is something I'll reserve unless that fails... or someone decides to try something." He didn't want to think about the possibility of harming anyone from the group. But things were far different here than they had ever been in the other circles. He may have spent so long fighting alongside these people, forged bonds with some of them that managed to withstand even the fires of hell... but that would not change the fact that every person's inner greed was going to come into play here. The thing they wanted most, the thing they had fought for for so long and so hard, spilled so much sweat, tears, and literal amounts of blood for; they were all going to be willing to even fight each other if it meant now was their chance to finally grab it. And even though he no longer fought for the restored prestige and reputation, the prosperity of the past that had drawn him down here in the first place... Ethic knew he'd have to have the will to get just as, no, even more ruthless, than anyone else for the wish waiting at the end. It didn't matter what he fought for now, it didn't matter who he fought for. He would still have to fight. And if he had to fight everybody in order to save everybody... so be it. Even if that turned him into the traitor; no, even more, even if it turned him into the Villain in their eyes... it would be far better if those eyes were able to glimpse the surface world again... rather than spending the rest of eternity in the pit of the hell.