Below is a short summary of the latest Community Meeting, followed by its chat logs – which have been gently edited for formatting, to put questions and answers in bold for easy skimming, and to omit greetings and farewells and other such asides. Meetings are hosted by Estate owner NeoBokrug Elytis at 2:00 pm on the first Saturday of every month at The Potato Farm in The Wastelands, and the discussion is typically divided into three main topics: Estate, Game, and Roleplay & Events. Everyone is welcome to attend!
ESTATE:
Covenant Updates!
➳ The Covenant has been edited and restructured to make it easier to read, to clarify some policies, and to remove redundancy.
➳ There are only three substantial changes:
- Added the information about Region Hookups, where independent Homestead owners who agree to adopt the Covenant and other terms can apply to be attached to the Estate.
- Removed the permission for shops to have one guest vendor.
- Removed the enforcement element of the Content Blacklist. Residents who’ve rezzed out IP-violating content will still be notified and encouraged to replace it, but not at penalty of land reclamation.
➳ Starting on January 2, 2023, land purchase prices – not tier – will go up by L$1 per LI that parcel supports.
➳ This purchase price increase will make it easier for residents to sell land without losing money, allow Neo to have occasional land sales or reinstate a referral program, and sweeten the deal on the Free Move program.
➳ Work’s been continuing on the Northgate Community Gateway.
GAME:
➳ LinkSet Data (LSD) has been released to main channel regions, allowing easier in-world data storage!
➳ This will let Neo tweak weapon damage and DoT effects in the HUD, without those weapons needing to be swapped or updated.
➳ Other weapon attributes, like range and accuracy, will not be affected by these tweaks.
➳ In other words, there’ll be no change to the mechanics that cover whether you hit a target – but there will be changes to what happens when you do.
➳ These tweaks won’t be made on the Fist Wraps or Bows – just the standard Melee and Ranged weapons.
➳ Neo is working to restore the DoT effect particle-emitter attachments – flames, radiation glow, streams of blood, etc.
➳ Residents once again found a platter of food near their camp on Foodmas…
➳ Limited-edition Giftmas collectibles are still planned to be added to the game, but Neo is hoping to add a mini-game element, rather than finding them through the regular spawn.
ROLEPLAY & EVENTS:
➳ The Wastelands’ 16th Birthday celebration, WL16B, will take place January 20 – 22, 2023! If you’d like to host an event, contact Neo or Apo with your preferred time slot and available time range.
➳ New Event! Neo will now be hosting Saturday Morning Cartoons at Burnt Oak Drive-In once or twice a month, likely at 8am SLT.
➳ Reminder: The roleplay character template has been added to the Wiki – add yours today! Or review it to see who’s who and get some ideas for interactions.
Giftmas Celebrations
➳ The boiler “TREE” has gone up in Fort Stygian! Everyone is welcome to decorate it with a 1-LI item – and to leave a gift for others!
➳ Irk the Mutant has rolled up Bleedy The Dirtman, a holiday ho-ho-horror everyone can help decorate, at his place in The Great Fissure.
➳ Apo will inflict this year’s iteration of a Burnt Oak Drive-In tradition on Friday the 16th. A terrible, terrible tradition.
➳ The Apo’s Audio Atrocities Giftmas Craptacular, an extra-long gauntlet of holiday music from entirely too many genres, will descend upon The N on Saturday the 17th.
➳ In whatever fashion this year’s collectables become obtainable, they will start spawning on December 18.
➳ Gomi plans to deliver us some festively foresaken films at Burnt Oak Drive-In on Sunday, December 25th – if not on Sunday the 18th, as well.
➳ The “TREE” and any game elements will likely be picked up again late on New Year’s Day.
Weekly Event Summary:
(All Times SLT)
Sundays:
– Storytime with Wasteland Drifter – 2pm
– Gomi’s Garbo Cinematic Expulsion – 5pm
Mondays:
– Mutant Drum Circle – 6pm
Tuesdays:
– Film Night with Wasteland Drifter – 5pm
Wednesdays:
– HOSTILE BROADCAST – 7pm
Thursdays:
– Unstructured Playtime w/ Dia – 5pm
– Booze & Blather [RP Event] – 6pm
Saturdays:
– Sandling’s Evening Madness – 1pm
– Fight Night (or War Zone on the first Saturday) – 3pm
– Apo’s Audio Atrocities – 5pm
First Saturday: Community Meeting – 2pm
Second Saturday: Barrelhead Bazaar [RP Event] – 11am
Third Saturday: Wasted Raiders’ Raid – Noon
Fourth Saturday: Second Second Saturday Skull Ball – 2pm (holiday hiatus)
Want to host an event? Let Neo know the event details by Wednesday night and he’ll add it to the weekly group announcements, Discord announcement, and Plurk feed!
If you want to keep in touch with other Wastelanders when you can’t be inworld, our Discord server is now public! The Unbridled Rage greeter bot can give a link.
I. THE ESTATE
NeoBokrug Elytis: IT’S… TIME.
Skylar (skylarlogan): not a moment too soon!
NeoBokrug Elytis: Let’s see, my brain is a bit fuzzy because my ALARM did not go off, and I was having an nap. So I JUST got up.
NeoBokrug Elytis: To start.
NeoBokrug Elytis: As per usual we talk about the three main aspects of the estate, with time for questions in between each chunk. Land, Games, and than an open floor discussion for RP & Events.
NeoBokrug Elytis: To start with Estate & Land. Occupancy finally hit that winter slump, although a bit later than anticipated. I guess that’s good?
NeoBokrug Elytis: Additionally, I made a gigantic restructure of our estate covenant, to chop down it’s verboseness, and make it more succinct. It’s here: https://wiki.the-wastelands.org/Covenant
xrrawva: nice
NeoBokrug Elytis: It is 98% the same, but I’ve taken out a lot of explaining WHY we have certain things. I figure if people ever have questions about it, they can just ask for an explanation.
Aposiopesis Fullstop: And I like the new organization – starting broad, getting more specific.
NeoBokrug Elytis: I refrenced much of the three main documents LL uses right at the start, since they were already parallel with what we were doing.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Right, it starts broad, drilling down in to specific niche bits of information. The same goes for our rules, which are few — but important.
NeoBokrug Elytis: For the weird and oddly specific rules, they’re in their own little category now.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Many of the perks of the estate are detailed as part of the covenant too, including just moving the free move program document into it.
NeoBokrug Elytis: The old Content Blacklist rules won’t be enforced, as in “pick that up or I will return it for you”, but if we see stuff we’ll let people know they should shop elsewhere and support original creators.
NeoBokrug Elytis: We’ve clarified how we Enforce the covenant too, as our perception of the spirit of the rule. Since trying to live by the letter of the law is just — some shithead driving up to the edge of what the rule is, and backing off for lulz.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Any questions about covenant stuff before I move on to other things?
Aposiopesis Fullstop: Does it cover the new initial purchase price changes?
Adogeoto Darkmoon (adogeoto.mcmahon): so these rules are the online or did you hand out a nc’d
Aposiopesis Fullstop: (Which is probably one of those other things?)
Sandling Honey: Thanks :D
NeoBokrug Elytis: It does not cover the new purchase prices, as that’s never been covered.
Sandling Honey: Pants are still punishable by death right?
NeoBokrug Elytis: They’re online; I sent a group notice out covering the changes.
Aposiopesis Fullstop: The Covenant is at the link he gave earlier, and you can also find that link in the Covenant tab of any parcel’s About Land panel.
NeoBokrug Elytis: https://wiki.the-wastelands.org/Covenant
NeoBokrug Elytis: Even with the additions we’ve made just moving important stuff around, and removing a lot of the cruft — it’s a 30% smaller read.
NeoBokrug Elytis: I think I talked about the region hookup program in a previous meeting, where if you own (or will own) a region and you want to become part of the wastelands, you can with a dearth of caveats. All of which is covered in the updated covenant now.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Moving on to Parcel Price changes;
NeoBokrug Elytis: Currently our parcel prices are just 2 weeks tier. Which pretty much gives no additional value to the land for the land holders, makes it hard for them to resell their land, and allows me zero ability to have and sort of nice perks, like sales.
NeoBokrug Elytis: So what I have chosen to do is add L$1 for every prim to the sale price of the parcel starting on January 2nd
NeoBokrug Elytis: Which means that technically now, since you folks know about the change, there’s a land sale. ;)
Aposiopesis Fullstop: wooo!
The Mutant Witch of the Wastes (ccindy.pfeffer): BUY IT ALL!
NeoBokrug Elytis: I hope to increase this to L$1.5, and L$2 per prim as time marches forward.
NeoBokrug Elytis: But baby steps. Because I would really rather have folks have SOME chance at selling their land if they need to move for whatever reason.
Aposiopesis Fullstop: That’s probably still not going to be as much as the old four-weeks-of-tier purchase price.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Correct.
NeoBokrug Elytis: And it won’t be the L$6500 price for a 1024 piece of land with only 234 prims.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Like in the early days, ahah
Aposiopesis Fullstop: Hahaha
Ironblood Mechanique: lol
NeoBokrug Elytis: I knew you’d get that IB, :)
Candide LeMay: what is the motivation here? you buy land for more … but still get 2 weeks tier. how is that making land more attractive to buyers?
Kyo (kyo.voxel): oh I remember those days lol
The Mutant Witch of the Wastes (ccindy.pfeffer): Will that include Homestead regions if some get addet at a later point in time?
The Mutant Witch of the Wastes (ccindy.pfeffer): Ohh its IB .. my Alt
NeoBokrug Elytis: It is not meant to be more appealing to buyers, but to empower owners to undercut me, and to afford me the opportunities to have sales, or other events again.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Because right now, folks can’t undercut me without a guaranteed loss. It did not used to be that way.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Homesteads are not included in these prices. They have requirements that folks and I sit down and talk about as part of the application.
NeoBokrug Elytis: But even it if was, that’s only L$5k
Dassina Andel: “Cave is Cave.”
Candide LeMay: i don’t think i’ve seen a resident-to-resident land sale here like … ever
Aposiopesis Fullstop: That’s exactly his point.
Ironblood Mechanique: used to happen all the time :c
NeoBokrug Elytis: Exactly.
Dassina Andel: Yeah.
Aposiopesis Fullstop: Since you’ve been here, there’s been no reason to buy from another seller when you could buy it straight from Neo for the same price or cheaper.
NeoBokrug Elytis: When I made parcels just the price of tier, that’s when it all stopped. People would still sell and buy from each other, but not to the degree that we had.
NeoBokrug Elytis: I had been thinking about this for a long while, it’s just that going through and updating the covenant again brought the issue to the forefront of my mind.
Candide LeMay: i dunno with all the yellow on the map it doesn’t seem like the time to make buying unused land more expensive
NeoBokrug Elytis: So I spent a day bouncing around the grid to see what other themed communities are doing, and from what I could tell, we’re still around the right price for tier.
Escapades BASH Stick: whispers: noweapons
NeoBokrug Elytis: Well, tier and sales prices are different.
Tristan Kuramoto: the jy looks realy bad with yellow right now X_X
xrrawva: uh oh
NeoBokrug Elytis: And it doesn’t seem to matter what the tier is, or the buy in prices, especially when the add is very minimal. I’m not tacking a ton on to the price.
Ironblood Mechanique: lol
Rax Stooge: uhh
xrrawva tries to find machete
NeoBokrug Elytis: And the JY is in it’s codition because a big landholder had to take some time off of SL.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Two really.
Tristan Kuramoto: ya was just sayin its rare
Tristan Kuramoto: ment to say*
NeoBokrug Elytis: It’s also the slow time of the year. I expected that much. Not thrilled with occupancy, but I never am this time of the year.
Aposiopesis Fullstop: People don’t not-buy-land because they can’t afford the buy-in, it’s because they can’t afford tier.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Right.
NeoBokrug Elytis: It’s always the cost of tier that keeps people out.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Any other questions about the purchase price changes?
Dassina Andel: Onto Game Stuff?
NeoBokrug Elytis: On to game stuff.
II. THE GAME
NeoBokrug Elytis: I have been tinkering with the HUD with the new LSD features. You ever see those videos of dogs who like tennis balls, and someone dumps about 100 of them and the dog goes nuts and doesn’t know exactly what to work on?
NeoBokrug Elytis: That’s me
Aposiopesis Fullstop: Hahaha
Sandling Honey: Are you also that Ferret video?
NeoBokrug Elytis: So I started changing stuff, and kind of want to step back and go with one small, but gigantic change.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Haha probably.
Sandling Honey: The ferret at the stairway with the toys
Sandling Honey: cutest thing ever haha
NeoBokrug Elytis: I want to rebalance all the weapons in the HUD, it won’t require a weapon/swap upgrade — it’ll just do it on the fly.
Aposiopesis Fullstop: Iiiiiinteresting…
NeoBokrug Elytis: I am going to nerf the shit out of some favorites.
xrrawva: the femur is definetly underpowered wink wink
The Mutant Witch of the Wastes (ccindy.pfeffer) takes out all the knives
NeoBokrug Elytis: Hopefully, if I am clever, I can force them to use the new DOT system
Tora the Explorer (toraona.thane): not in your hands it isn’t, mr X!
xrrawva: aw
NeoBokrug Elytis: However, I think I will leave wraps alone, as they are very much more skill based, and fairly fair with their use.
Dassina Andel: Will this rebalancing render “old” versions of current weapons useless?
Dassina Andel: i.e. Vicious Clobberin Stick, Scav Knife.
NeoBokrug Elytis: I don’t think so. If they work now, they will still work.
Ironblood Mechanique: how old is “old”?
Ironblood Mechanique: <_<
NeoBokrug Elytis: I hope to make the damage a bit less STATIC as it is now, and use the dice based systems that are built in to the HUDs for DoT to have weapons do a range of damage.
Aposiopesis Fullstop: That’s why he was saying it wouldn’t need to be swapped, and would be changed on the fly. So, like, the old Board With Nails will still be broken – but today’s Vicious Clobberin’ Stick will still work, but differently, when the changes are made.
NeoBokrug Elytis: So you might get some lucky shots in.
Dassina Andel: Vicious Stick original vs current, are two very different weapons.
NeoBokrug Elytis: They will do the same damage now.
Dassina Andel: Ahh, gotcha.
Tora the Explorer (toraona.thane): that sounds like a very good upgrade to me! luck always plays a part in combat :-)
Dassina Andel: Dynamic, like Fistwraps damage? If so, oooh.
NeoBokrug Elytis: The mechanics of the old weapons will swing the same.
Dassina Andel: You have my full attention now. :3
NeoBokrug Elytis: Old pre-raycasting, raycasting is still the same.
Sketchkat Blackflag is back, all caught up
NeoBokrug Elytis: I can’t change that without an exchange.
NeoBokrug Elytis: But with the HUD and LSD, I can say; these weapons do this damage now instead.
Aposiopesis Fullstop: So things like the range, accuracy, etc. is the same. Our hitboxes are the same, etc.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Yup
Dassina Andel: Melee, or are we including ranged stuff too?
NeoBokrug Elytis: Ranged too
Dassina Andel: Ooooooooooh.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Bows will probably be exempt.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Since they have their own mechanic
Dassina Andel: A tricky, but effective mechanic
Mayo von Schrott (myotis.draconia): why does this song remind me of November rain
Sketchkat Blackflag: haven’t used anything other than the cloth wraps, so everything would be new to me xD
NeoBokrug Elytis: Any other questions about the planned quick and dirty weapon rework?
Aposiopesis Fullstop: Soooort of.
Aposiopesis Fullstop: Is there anything that could change the accuracy without having to swap things out? I’ve never felt the damages of thing were too unsatisfying (maybe the variety of damage and lack of DoTs and all) – but it sure does feel like 25 whiffs for every hit. That could just be the suck talking, mind you. :V
Aposiopesis Fullstop: *things
NeoBokrug Elytis: Apo: NopeN
Aposiopesis Fullstop: Ahhh. So it’s still the weapon that “knows” if you hit or not – it’s the HUD that decides what happens if it does.
Dassina Andel: Just having visual feedback of DoTs landing returning, would be a godsend.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Regarding the game and Collectables this year, I think I am going to try something new. Things will still be collectables in some form. But I want to try to deploy some mini-games while acquiring them. I won’t go in to details other than I am going to make an attempt, and I’ll try to make it funner than just stomping on the sands all day looking for something.
NeoBokrug Elytis: I could probably do that now Dass, I will look in to it tonight actually.
NeoBokrug Elytis: The new scripts limit is more of a nag now.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Because the bug is, that temporary attachments, when detached, still count against your avatars memory counts for some reason.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Which in the past could break your HUD.
NeoBokrug Elytis: And a DoT visual effect is a script.
xrrawva: sometimes videogames have a secret aim assist maybe in sl this could help with network lag and the weird (randomly delayed) way the client sends mouselook aiming to the server (who decides wether u hit or not). if that’s real i dunno if i’m up to date.
Dassina Andel: This Weapon damage rebalancing could bring a lot of weapons back into more useful circulation. I’m all for it.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Haha yeah
Dassina Andel: Let’s face it, the Rattlesnake sucks currently.
Aposiopesis Fullstop: Yar. It sounds like it might make more things more viable, but also, hopefully, not as samesy? When you almost never deal a DoT, some of the different things felt just the same. The DoT gave it flavor.
The Mutant Witch of the Wastes (ccindy.pfeffer): rattlesnake was very fun when it had DOTs
Dassina Andel: What she said.
xrrawva: the femur could break after a lot of use. into 2 knive-type weapons.
NeoBokrug Elytis: Well the beauty of the rebalance, is I can use new DoTs now.
Aposiopesis Fullstop: (I also miss the different swing rates different weapons used to have, but. *creaks, coughs up dust.* )
Aposiopesis Fullstop: Hahaha
Dassina Andel: They… still kind of do.
xrrawva: (pelase no breaking femurs actually it has entimental value)
III. THE ROLEPLAY & EVENTS
NeoBokrug Elytis: Okay before I open the floor for Events & RP, Our 189475239876th Birthday is coming up, and as such we need to start planning for it.
xrrawva: =o
Drifter (wastelanddrifter): I didn’t realize it was that many.
Aposiopesis Fullstop: (And have already been planning, in fact!)
Tora the Explorer (toraona.thane): i’ll bring cookies?
xrrawva: +/-
Dassina Andel: Tin Man’s FPU crashed again on a number.
NeoBokrug Elytis: If you want to host an event, or want to — but are scared to, you can contact me or Apo and we can help get you situated on the schedule, and/or give our best pointers for hosting events.
Ironblood Mechanique: i’ll make sure im gone by then like always
NeoBokrug Elytis: (Our 16th)
Dassina Andel: There will be drinking.
Aposiopesis Fullstop: I will STAPLE YOU DOWN, Ironblood!
Ironblood Mechanique: :O
NeoBokrug Elytis: Giftmas is coming soon, so is the TREE (let me dig up a wiki article)
Rax Stooge: yay drinking :/
Dassina Andel: Put my Power Hour down as close to, or right before Fight Night. For extra “Wild Card” fun. :3
NeoBokrug Elytis: Start planning to make gifts if you’re going to: https://wiki.the-wastelands.org/The_Giftmas_TREE
Aposiopesis Fullstop: Oooh. Can try to do that; I think Pale’s already laid claim to 2-4, though.
Aposiopesis Fullstop: But we’ll see how things shake out.
Sandling Honey: Wait, people host events at the Wastelands without being scared?
NeoBokrug Elytis: Haha
NeoBokrug Elytis: I think that’s all I’ve got for Events & RP discussion. I am sure I am missing something, but I’ll open the floor since we’re low on time. At 3pm we’ll move to TThe Great Fissure for some War Zone!
Aposiopesis Fullstop: Just fill out the notecard thing with your preferred slots, and availability ranges, and we’ll make sure it happens and in a window that you can actually do. Heh.
Candide LeMay: i have a question about the communist gateway sim… is that still happening?
NeoBokrug Elytis: Yes. I was there last week poking at some scripts.
xrrawva: “open the floor” hmmm
NeoBokrug Elytis: heh
Tora the Explorer (toraona.thane): no! i already got stuck down there with pit cat once today! lol
Tristan Kuramoto: I have a question is Sat morning cartoons at the drive in going to become a reg thing?
Aposiopesis Fullstop: Apo’s Audio Atrocities Presents The Somethingth Annual GIFTMAS CRAPTACULAR shall return to The N on Saturday the 17th, at a specially early start time of 4pm – and going ENTIRELY TOO LONG thereafter. :D
NeoBokrug Elytis: Regularish in that — I want to do it once or maybe twice a month.
Tristan Kuramoto: ok
NeoBokrug Elytis: You’ll have to watch for group announcements.
Sketchkat Blackflag: ♥
Tora the Explorer (toraona.thane): w00t!
Tora the Explorer (toraona.thane): yah, what sketchkat said!
Aposiopesis Fullstop: For anyone itching for RP, Booze & Blather still happens on Thursdays at 6pm. And there’s a new – and chance-based – cocktail….
Tristan Kuramoto: ya i wasnt sure if you had another one today neo
Tristan Kuramoto: had not seen anything anywhere
The Mutant Witch of the Wastes (ccindy.pfeffer): All cocktails are chance based
Ironblood Mechanique: lol
NeoBokrug Elytis: Nope, I’ll post it to announcements if and when I do.
Tristan Kuramoto: ok
Aposiopesis Fullstop: There may be another Oracle reading before the span is out, as well, but hard tellin’ when. That’s usually at noon on Sundays when and if it happens, though.
NeoBokrug Elytis: If I don’t see some of you before the end of the year, Happy Holidays. :)
Aposiopesis Fullstop: \o/
Sandling Honey: :D
Drifter (wastelanddrifter): I’m digging whatever is playing now.
Sandling Honey: haha
Sandling Honey: My floor cleaner
Aposiopesis Fullstop: I’m pretty stoked for Giftmas things.
Aposiopesis Fullstop: Haha, those never work the way you expect them to here, Sandling. ;)
Sandling Honey: Oh but I do expect people to stay for them :D
Sandling Honey: Reverse psychology
Aposiopesis Fullstop: Haha!
NeoBokrug Elytis: Okay, let’s meet up in The Great Fissure.
Drifter (wastelanddrifter): Off we go
Sketchkat Blackflag: I still need an idea for a giftmas thingy x3 but looking forward to all the gifts indeed ^^
Sandling Honey: \O.O/
Sketchkat Blackflag: \o/