SOTG APRIL 2024

[expiationmods]

AC RESULTS

The following characters have been removed from the game:
detonating
querulus

WHAT'S NEW?

UPDATED CALENDAR IS HERE.

(short addendum to those who had seen the calendar before Elise updates it, but the TDM will be going up on the 15th and not the 8th. Elise is just constantly confused about dates.)

UPGRADES

We have a new Aldrip page, and an updated world map page! Go ahead and check it out!
We have also changed the blurbs on the profile pages to reflect the update...
We will be reworking the general info page for Expi next along with another odd task or two! Let us know how you like the new Aldrip page!

SENTENCING

The mod team has decided that we will be taking out lore drops as a reward for completing Sentencing. There’s a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, we’re caught up narratively to where we want to be with the game and the hints of what Expiation actually is. Secondly, we would like to be able to tie such things into events better in the future instead. Thirdly… and honestly, the biggest reason is that the proximity to Sentencing ending to the event starting makes it difficult for the mod team to complete everything at once. Because we’d like to give players ample amount of time to complete their Sentencing, we don’t want to shorten that time period, especially with the other reasons explained above. Lore drops will still be available as an AC Reward with the mentioned limit there. But that doesn’t mean we won’t give rewards for finishing Sentencing completely! Now, completion of Sentencing will give the following:


- Regain a memory from a previous stay, or recover a memory from a memory-altering event

- Change their crime

- Gain a small item, could be either theirs or someone else's

- Gain a small ability, or temporary supernatural ability (l1 month)


Now, for who will be Sentenced… the candidates that go into the automatic pool is as follows: Gogol (organ… theft…….and obstruction of justice), and Ragna (we all know what this mfer did). We will open up sign-ups for SIX more sign-ups this month, for a total of EIGHT Sentenced. Those who were Sentenced the last cycle are not eligible and won’t be counted for the RNG if more people sign up than slots. Sign-ups will be closed on the 5th, and Jerry will come knocking not long after that.

THIS MONTH IN ALDRIP

EVENT UPDATE

PLEASE WAIT
POPULATING ASSETS
LOADING STRUCTURAL OVERLAYS
UPDATING MAPS..............

Characters wake on April 1 to find that everything has gone back to…well, “normal” is an interesting word for it. However, their memories have returned, even if some people struggle to differentiate reality from fiction in the aftermath.

ERROR: REDUCED STORAGE CAPACITY

While characters’ memories and homes have been restored, characters remain in the locations where they last went to sleep in the AU, instead of in their own homes. They may at first wonder what happened, and more importantly, why. The answer to that could become more clear as they step outside to find that things look a little different from how they left them.

ALL UPDATES INSTALLED
WELCOME TO EXPIATION, [CHOSEN]
WE ARE SO GLAD YOU ARE HERE

Aldrip has received some upgrades, and while characters won’t be fully aware of it yet, so has the world map.

HOUSING AND BUSINESSES

Housing and businesses stay the same. If you owned a business or a house before the update, you still own that business or house. Technology and aesthetic upgrades are up to the individual player! Likewise, there were a couple of players that had preferred apartments during the AU event, so there are now apartment buildings alongside the inn for those who don’t particularly want to own a house.

ALDRIP UPDATES

If you noticed that there’s a patchwork of eras on the Aldrip page for the different districts, it’s by design. In order to keep with the fantasy/sci-fi aesthetic, we wanted some districts to look more medieval, modern, and even futuristic. Characters still have their tablets, but they are easier to carry around now, more like a cell phone than an actual full-sized tablet. The apps stay the same as before – but we’d like to hear from you guys! Do you all have any ideas on games/apps/whatever we can add to the devices in the next update? You can suggest it in the comments below!

Transportation is still fairly low-key for the most part. You may ride Chocobos, horses, and the regained animals that players have as necessary. There are some players who have regained motor vehicles, and they’re able to keep them, but finding those sorts of things outside of regains is still few and far in between.

NPC locals are now more interactive. We will provide more detailed blurbs in the SOTG posts for characters to interact with them. Players may decide for themselves what kind of interaction and conversations, if any, they have with them without mods actually playing these characters. (outside of Jerry and Mr. Expedition, of course)

NPC UPDATES

As mentioned. NPCs are more interactive now. Plenty of them are still religiously devoted to Those Who Were There, but as time goes by, worship of these mysterious beings seems to diminish. Maybe it’s the hustle and bustle of the city. Maybe there’s just no time for it anymore. Evidence of continuing devotion may still be found in some places, especially businesses owned or staffed by NPCs (a poster with ineligible writing underneath, or an old, faded religious text, for example), and maybe mentions about wanting to convert some of the Chosen… but they’re not extremely pushy about it.

On the other hand, there is some crime starting up in some of the more unsavory parts of town. There’s rumors of a gang forming on the docks, as well as some robberies scattered here and there throughout the other districts. Characters may be involved with the NPCs or not, but it’ll be happening either way. The Entertainment District is also rumored to have many buildings that serve as a front for organized crime. Of course, it’s hard to verify those rumors. Not many people are very forthcoming about their criminal tendencies, after all.

WEATHER

For the most part, the weather stays nice with some passing rain showers throughout the districts off and on… except for the residential district. There’s a few days of a freak snowstorm that doesn’t seem to affect the other districts, before mysteriously disappearing overnight. Snow remains there for a few days, unmelting… before that, too, disappears overnight.

SO MUCH LOVE

A lot of us are just not going to talk about March irl. Okay? Okay. But as always, the mod team loves our playerbase no matter what!! We wish everyone a happy April!

Gif sponsored by Bekka.



code credit.

Comments

SENTENCING SIGNUPS

[expiationmods]

Haru Okumura

[mapsio]

BRING IT ON.

[solitarysoul]

Sure I've been here long enough might as well

[bonobos]

Me!!

[earnedmystripes]

hell yeah let's do it

[skelters]

raises hands

[strength_of_will]

o/

[feintofhart]

:>

APPS/GAMES SUGGESTION

[opheliac]

🌸 tile master
🌸 2048
🌸 word search
🌸 ALDRIP EATS — (idk, maybe someone wants to take up a job of delivering food to people. this new map/city is big. smart guy touching his head.gif)
🌸 OKCUPID KNOCK OFF - (🤪)
🌸 MY FITNESS PAL KNOCK OFF — good health is good for u.
🌸 TO DO LIST/MY DIARY APPS — those are important.

that's all cause i have to go to work.

[strength_of_will]

Adding on to this:

WORDLE

[threadmage]

omg as a 2+ year wordler, yes please wordle

[solitarysoul]

Tetris or a tetris knock off. Please.

[orphne]

question sort-of abt the weather... is the moon still Perpetually Full or like does it have phases now

[expiationmods]

The moon is still perpetually full! For now...

[orphne]

not sure if that makes me more or less concerned

ty!! 👍

[solitarysoul]

So if Levi passed out in the street cause he stayed up till the countdown ended he'd wake up in the street?

Hopefully not one with much traffic ^^;

[expiationmods]

Yes... Levi please find a bed.

[solitarysoul]

you cant make me you arent my dad

[opheliac]

question about cellphones!

it works the same as the tablet roughly, right? like my recent network post being an example. it will still be "jinx" as the owner of her cellphone/post being made from despite that it's "FB" correct?

[expiationmods]

Yes, that's how that works!

[solitarysoul]

Are the charms still a thing or do we all just have phones?

Oh, also, does the inn still serve meals?

[expiationmods]

Charms are gone now, but some of the religious NPCs wear them.

Yes, the inn still serves meals!

[solitarysoul]

Ah, good thing Levi got more used to the tablet then.

Thanks!

[expiationmods]

Hello! We updated our stance on the charms here. Sorry for potentially clashing info!

APP SUGGESTIONS + question

[driving_from_the_backseat]

App suggestions:
- Various mental health apps?
- An iBooks/Libby/Overdrive/whatever knock-off

Question: Since Avalon doesn’t have particularly strong emotions, their version of an “emotional breakdown” is shutting themself in their room and sort of cataloguing everything from both of their lives. Can this kind of thing help them sort out reality from the AU or lessen the aftereffects of the event?

[expiationmods]

Thank you for your suggestions!

Yes, that'll work! We're largely leaving the coping mechanisms up to the players and characters post-event.

[driving_from_the_backseat]

Perfect!