i ran some number crunching on game premises or FAQs and to put it in perspective if they were written in a word document many games would average 6-12 pages long, prismatica's being the current longest. it's a lot of pedantic padding and (to be fair, players ask a lot of pedantic questions but i digress--) super wordy games are not a great trend.
also sadly yeah i want a chill always-open game but they never seem to last. i'm super bummed. things i'd look for though:
- banning known wankers with impunity - no apps but "claims", or mini apps (like one paragraph) with more emphasis on samples, open all the time. either review daily or every 3 days or once a week depending on the size of the game. this way the bar can stay low but not might-as-well-not-even-be-there kinds of low. - maybe assigned-at-"app" housemates or factions or something - no AC but check-ins required - duplicate characters, and obscure, "minor" characters, or AUs or CRAUs, or fandom OCs allowed because of that - no caps so even squatting/activity lulls won't prevent someone else from apping in another version - open to player-made events but once monthly mod-structured events should happen too to keep players engaged with the setting - no network but a one-for-everything IC community - maybe some kind of old school crack/meme/art side community for the game too?
personally i wouldn't care about power/ability caps, take em or leave em, but personally i do care a lot about game freedom and engagement. let my character start up a business, go adventure ~beyond the city walls~ or fight monsters, get their ass kicked by said monster, die and come back to life, whatever. don't tell me "you can't do this this or this or if you do this nothing exciting or interesting happens". tell me, "if you're interested in doing [thing] so many other things can come out of that, what direction would you like to go in?" i hate bloated faqs too so the more you can leave me to do things and make my own adventures the less i'll have to ask to make sure i'm not stepping on anyone's toes. i know other people really prefer a lot more guidance and that's okay too. freedom to make something fun come out of it either way is key, i think.
(i also don't want to play in a totally stagnant setting either where that freedom doesn't come without ic consequence and game changes but idk if that'll be as appropriate in a chill low stakes game!)
if not a jamjar, maybe something like everyone stays in their own worlds but shares a universal internet and can hop around through each other's canons or a shared dreamspace where everyone stays in their own worlds but when they sleep they all dream together might work well?
Re: GAME IDEAS
also sadly yeah i want a chill always-open game but they never seem to last. i'm super bummed. things i'd look for though:
- banning known wankers with impunity
- no apps but "claims", or mini apps (like one paragraph) with more emphasis on samples, open all the time. either review daily or every 3 days or once a week depending on the size of the game. this way the bar can stay low but not might-as-well-not-even-be-there kinds of low.
- maybe assigned-at-"app" housemates or factions or something
- no AC but check-ins required
- duplicate characters, and obscure, "minor" characters, or AUs or CRAUs, or fandom OCs allowed because of that
- no caps so even squatting/activity lulls won't prevent someone else from apping in another version
- open to player-made events but once monthly mod-structured events should happen too to keep players engaged with the setting
- no network but a one-for-everything IC community
- maybe some kind of old school crack/meme/art side community for the game too?
personally i wouldn't care about power/ability caps, take em or leave em, but personally i do care a lot about game freedom and engagement. let my character start up a business, go adventure ~beyond the city walls~ or fight monsters, get their ass kicked by said monster, die and come back to life, whatever. don't tell me "you can't do this this or this or if you do this nothing exciting or interesting happens". tell me, "if you're interested in doing [thing] so many other things can come out of that, what direction would you like to go in?" i hate bloated faqs too so the more you can leave me to do things and make my own adventures the less i'll have to ask to make sure i'm not stepping on anyone's toes. i know other people really prefer a lot more guidance and that's okay too. freedom to make something fun come out of it either way is key, i think.
(i also don't want to play in a totally stagnant setting either where that freedom doesn't come without ic consequence and game changes but idk if that'll be as appropriate in a chill low stakes game!)
if not a jamjar, maybe something like everyone stays in their own worlds but shares a universal internet and can hop around through each other's canons or a shared dreamspace where everyone stays in their own worlds but when they sleep they all dream together might work well?