July Game Announcements

[magicademymods]

July Game Announcements A Word From Your Mod Team We received no reserves or applications, and effectively no test drive interest, this month. Needless to say this is of some concern. We're happy with the size of the game and delighted by our close-knit community, but we also want to keep a steady flow of new possibilities coming in to keep the game from stagnating. To that end, we're still eager for ideas on how to sell this game to others and promote it! REGAINS?! This month's Research on the Sundered comes with a special benefit: our first power regain! Of course, that means the prompt will be suitably painful... All those who pariticipate in July's Research on the Sundered will have the opportunity to regain one power. It does not need to be one listed on your application -- we will use those for times when we want you to regain OTHER people's powers. In addition, this advancement will allow new characters apped in to retain one power of their choice. You'll see why... This Month In Diatu Stupidly Hot Weather plagues the Magicademy, though truth be told the campus is far cooler than Anastara thanks to its open fields and spread-out grounds. Still, it's too much for most people to tolerate, especially those from northern, colder climes. Humidity also makes the outdoors a misery, thanks to both the rivers and canals. Weirdass Weather arises when students tamper with the weather systems, as some bold souls inevitably attempt. If you're lucky, you find a breath of cool air, a gentle rain, or at least a dry heat. But when student spells go bad, or two students both try their hand at their magic too close to each other, you end up with small tornadoes, vicious hail, lightning and pouring rain, or ankle-height hurricanes. Duck! The Library of Starchime Inventory begins as midterms wind down, as library staff sort through all their volumes, check for any overdue or lost, and bundle off old volumes being replaced by new. If you've been criminal with your library ways, now is the time your debt comes due, but on the other hand the swirling chaos might be the perfect time for you to score a book you wanted. Midterm grades are a thing, by the way. How'd you do? This Month In Anastara Experimental Steering tests are slowly getting underway, as workers struggle to erect large poles on the island's cliffsides. Sails deployed from these poles could catch the wind, allowing the island to move and be steered as desired. But can this plan possibly go well? Adventures As detailed on our Adventures page, you may sign up for an adventure by responding to the appropriate comment on this post. We will respond with your adventure setups in a few days. You may undertake a new adventure this month even if you are still in an adventure from previous months. We also want to encourage everyone to involve others in your adventures! Though it is possible to do many adventures solo, we intend them as opportunities for characters to mix and mingle. Actions To represent characters working long-term towards a goal, you can submit up to two actions on the appropriate comment below that your character will be focusing their time towards (or one action twice). This can range from studying, to exploration, to trying to gain points for the Colormarch, to buttering up NPCs, to others. At the end of the month, once you submit AC, you will be given your results. The Colormarch! We'll announce the results during... Second Event: Bodyswap! Thanks to a magical mishap brought on by certain people who may have decided to attempt this sort of nonsense while forgetting they were tainted by a weird chaos beast from the nether, the second event log this month will offer bodyswap shenanigans! We'll put up an OOC plotting post as it approaches, as well as allowing for random signups. Monthly Mod Plans Update Locations to include all new discovered areas (monthly) Update Adventures with new options (monthly) Create a Religion page to explain the religion of the Tenscore Kingdoms (we swear we'll do this sometime)

Comments

Actions

[magicademymods]

Re: Actions

[bearshermark]

Eleven will be focused on learning his duties as a new acolyte of Raida.

He'll also focus on designing and completing the Empress's commission at the expense of the others he'd planned to begin taking.

For her, El forges braided metal into an ornamental hairstick. Elegant branches twist out from the top and each one curls delicately around one of six tiny, multi-colored gems. Twin leaves dangles as charms. Closer inspection reveals a hidden sheathe for what is secretly a thin and finely sharpened blade. Woven into the accessory is a spell to Intimate Lies.

A tiny mark of light is etched beneath the roots of the tree.

Along with the commission comes an informal note:

Yggdrasil is a sacred symbol of Life and Light in my world. This may not be the best likeness ever crafted, but I pray you'll find it to your liking, even if you may never wear or use it. May it never allow you to be deceived, and offer some measure of defense should the need arise.

~Eleven

[talkyourwayout]

Louie will be working on his business once more, and also trying to gain points for Colormarch.

Rapunzel will be exploring more, but with a focus on finding out of the way places - not necessarily forbidden/closed-off areas, more like places that would be good for getting privacy/hiding. She will also be studying.

[perfectenn]

Tenn focused on work, spending more time off campus for rehearsals and performances.
And he frequented Melody’s to enjoy the shows and talk to other professionals.

[daughterofclay]

Jude is going to continue to study and practice Fantastics privately even though she will request to drop the class in favour of Thaumaturgy (having to pretend to see illusions she's now immune to was giving her too many tension headache).

She is also going to try and follow rumours of the Magical Black Market through the city, in hopes of tracking down the (hopefully real!) location of it.

[woo_oo]

Webby will be Studying Dialectical Logic, and making friends with (buttering up? perish the thought!) Lady Aria!

Re: Actions

[puzzlers]

Yugi will want to get closer with Professor King and also practice more sundering.

Lady wants to practice sundering x2.

Re: Actions

[hotheadwarmheart]

Lea is going to be working on Forging, as usual, and also getting in some practice in with his newly reacquired Keyblade in his spare time.

[unswervingcompanion]

Yuki will be refocusing on botany and Intimation.

Hendrik has been hanging out with the knights at The Knight's Quarters and working on his bond with his green toad familiar Sir Gawain.

Noctis will be learning how to better channel his magic through his sword and teaching the kids at the University District as a weapons specialist.

Re: Actions

[nobodys_puppet]

Wow with con and everything totally didn't do this yet. Okay, so Xion for this month: Egull hunting and reading the books Axel gave her on what everyday things are.

V spent the month studying both kinds of magic, magic from here and from home.

Minamimoto.... is still looking for his dragon. >.

[paradoxical_personality]

Hel took extra care to focus on the history of the Tenscore kingdoms thinking that there might be something simple they've all been missing that could historically explain this whole sundering mishap. Also, since she mastered the infinity cloth, she went back to exploring the rings for suspicious or out of the way locations. Whoever cast this spell might not have cast it from the floating island but there's still a lot of ground to cover.

Atem on the other hand focused on studies (primarily glyphs), and engaged in some training activities with his familiar (the Millennium Falcon/"Horus") such as sending the little metallic bird off some distances, and having it return, delivering missives and the like.

posting in the right spot this month x.x

[blue_ice]

Sunset will be studying Fantastics and familiar bonding.

Kaiba will be studying Sundering and fighting Yugi at the War Games Association

Tidus will be practicing food spells and bala-inlota.

[holdyourhorns]

One of Spyro’s weekly letters to Ire will have included how things went talking to the ghost dragon.

During the current month though, one of the weekly letters will go over how the research team managed to help him get Sparx the dragonfly back. He’ll briefly explain the purpose of magical dragonfly partners: to protect young dragons from serious harm until they’re of age.


Then: Wanna know what Spyro thinks would be nice after hallucinations and crazy body swaps? Something else to remind him of home. Considering he has Sparx now to protect him, he wants to find a cafe with the means to make a unicorn frappuccino. Regardless of whether or not the fairy dust is the real stuff.

[goingbythebook]

Huey has been working on familiar bond. In addition, having discovered the Forge he's endeavoring to learn about Forging, mostly via the library for now.

[noasark]

What with cooperation paying off really nicely Or Something, Noa will focus on working with and understanding his familiar Adelai more.

Other than that, he spent a fair bit asking around and talking with locals and staff to find a spot where his horse can be properly stabled...also where she can be ridden. (So...Talking?? I think that's Talking)

Late actions!

[shiningkindness]

Fluttershy will be working on using the spell to speak to familiars to try and expand it to other animals in general. She will also be working on her familiar bond with both familiars.

Lena will be working and earning money.

Re: Actions

[mithrarin]

Dust is practicing combining magic and swordplay, and working on his Familiar Bond.

Jecht is playing bala-inlota and trying to parlay his fame there into good standing in the Magicademy.

Orisa is going for Colormarch points and doing heroism!

Adventures

[magicademymods]

Re: A Word from the Mods

[talkyourwayout]

I really wish I had something to offer here. I love this game and how it's run, in all honesty... I just have no skill with advertising a DWRP beyond talking it up to anyone who asks about it on my Plurk. That said, if the mods think of anything the playerbase can do to help, I'll be happy to help!

One thing I do think might appeal to many RPers is how frequently regains of some fashion can be obtained in game, about once a month?

[magicademymods]

We'll be laying out new regain rules in August, which will apply to new characters as well!

(Short version: Regains will retroactively be available. So a character new to the game can regain a power by undertaking the current Research event.)

Re: Word from Mod Team

[perfectenn]

I was thinking about the new ad, and I have a small concern I'd like to raise:

While the ad from May highlights the creativity of the setting and adventures, it feels like it might raise a barrier for new players. A common concern while game shopping is how easy it will be to integrate into a currently-running game – how much there is to catch up on as far as events and terminology. The ad sounds potentially overwhelming from that perspective.

I found the first game ad easier to follow, since it was perfectly understandable without any prior knowledge of the game. And for a cozy slice-of-life like this, easy and understandable are big selling points!

-

One other minor thing related to this month. Having the headers for Adventures and Actions up when Game Announcements is posted would be helpful. I've noticed motivation to sign up for things is strongest when the monthly announcement first goes up; otherwise we have to remember to check back later. (July was busy so I see how it might have slipped under the radar. Just thinking that this post has looked very quiet in comparison to the past ones.)


Hope that gives some ideas! I do love the unique setting and enjoy exploring the world and native magic. It's been a lot of fun, so thank you!

[magicademymods]

Yes... we can't tell you how many times we've put up the post, patted ourselves on the back for a job well-done, then realize later we totally forgot those. We know that's a problem and will endeavor to do better.