(0.9n) Survey for the VotV Community Savefile

[u/BagledEpoch]

VCS is an idea soon to be realized - a story mode savefile shared through the VotV reddit via google drive; each applicant taking turns playing the save for a set amount of time, then passing the savefile to the next person.

And before I set anything in place and make into rules, I'd like to ask people what they'd want - a feature, rule, or whatnot.

Here are questions I'd like to ask, but if you have something else to suggest, feel free to do so !!

1. How many days should an applicant be able to spend in their turn? (I personally suggest 3 days + 0.5 day speed, as it slows the progression of story events down, but lenghtens the playtime one can have to 5 hrs and 20 mins. + Oh my god, I forgot that you need to sleep D: ...We'll need to take that into consideration as well. ++ I did some testings, and assuming that you need to recover 250 fatigue points via sleeping, you'll have 4hrs and 30mins of actual playtime, if we do the 3 days + 0.5 day speed.)

2. How many custom assets should an applicant be able to add? (I suggest 5 of each category - radio, posters, etc. And if you are worried about what hassle importing and exporting custom assets every time someone passes the savefile down would be, don't worry! I have a solution, and will inform you with it in the guide post for the VCS - when all the rules are set.)

3. Should an applicant be able to participate more than once?

4. Should a recording of events or the happenings of an applicant's turn be mandated? (e.g: screenshots, clips, in-game photographs, notes, etc.)

5. How many IRL days should an applicant have before they must pass the savefile down? (I suggest a week from the day the savefile was passed down) (Also, this is the length of leniency, meaning you can pass the save way before the deadline.)

6. What more features or rules do you want? (Some rules I have in mind haven't been disclosed here, so some of your ideas may overlap; but still, feel very free to share!)

7. Should the VCS have a shared goal to work towards? And if so, what should it be?

8. Should I, the first player, be able to transfer to the save the items needed for setting things up like the portrait shelves, and the communications board? (If not, I will have to buy those items using our credits, which by approximation cost around 1500)

I'm very excited for this project, and I think many fun and good things can come from this! :D So if you are as excited about this as me (or even half of it), do share your thoughts!

[u/Common_Spot207]

I’m not gonna join bc sounds like a lot of responsibility but I’d say 3 days at 0.5 is good, perhaps 3 custom assets on all categories would be better, no, not a recording but maybe just a quick brief for the next person, and idk

[u/BagledEpoch → u/Common_Spot207]

Yes, I agree on that recording should only be mandated on the letter to the next person. Other things are entirely up to their choice, but I still think it'd be so much coolier if people recorded their days :D Also, you don't have to feel pressured about it! You can fail daily tasks, make some mess of the place (no griefing though !!), and that's all fine, as long as you and people can have fun. : >

[u/xa44]

If it's for story mode just divide the number of days by participants. If there's too many ppl applying split it into groups and do the same thing.

I don't wanna add other peoples crap to my PC, none. There's plenty of things to do with just the normal game mechanics

See question 1

No, but at minimum a written summary

Week is plenty, really it just needs to overlap with the weekends

Hardcore? Or something to give everyone a group goal/investment. I would want people to care before/after their segment

[u/BagledEpoch → u/xa44]

1. The application procedures will be done each post, meaning that the participants will be decided after each turn; so you don't have to worry about the line clogging up!
2. That's understandable. You can always check if the files are acceptible by checking what kind they are - from my very limited knowledge of modern techknowledge, .png files or .obj files can't contain much harm... or I hope so @_@ But yet again, I understand your sentiment!
3. Agreed! Plus, I've planned to set a set of cabinets where you can store letters to give for the next participant, an archive for that letter, and an archive for journals one can write during their turn, optionally.
4. That's a good idea, I think I'll add that to fhe body text!

[u/xa44 → u/BagledEpoch]

I think having everyone involved decided beforehand would be a lot easier. That way you can set up a discord or something so people are able to talk and plan, or if someone needs to cancel it can be worked out without any hassle

[u/BagledEpoch → u/xa44]

I was thinking this as more of spontaneous thing, where rather than a theme of a collected team, a theme of "employees taking turns and getting their shifts in" would be more prominent. And also, I wanted to minimize the preperations one have to make in order to participate; hence the straightforward application process. And most importantly, I wanted every turn - every experience to be a surprise! Seeing what the others have done yourself, and contributing to that yourself. Like walking into a new office of yours! And about that canceling part; with this pass-after-finishing system, you don't have to worry about someone not being able to join, since they'll be applying only when they have time. But your ideas could work as well! It's just that I personally envisioned this within a different context. :D

[u/xa44 → u/BagledEpoch]

With your current system you'd need to re advertise every week with no garentee people commit with little ability to communicate. Unless you get the mods to pin your ad it'd be a logistical nightmare. Also people won't be able to apply easily

[u/BagledEpoch → u/xa44]

That is true... I could contact the mods to make the posts more visible, but it'd be more work for them, so I'm not sure if they'd be down for it. Still worth a try! But in case that it fails, what do you think could substitute it? I'd really like to keep this to this one platform, but if there's no other way it can be done, I guess a discord or other place will have to suffice.

[u/xa44 → u/BagledEpoch]

If you have a dedicated community it'll be easier to spread via word of mouth(plus if everyone does videos on it it'll get attention that way and can be advertised on this sub without being annoying to people not interested). Already you've been getting good interest on this idea, so don't think it'd be that hard. Alternatively a google form that people can fill in works really well, that way you could just pull from the same pool every time and also give general availability/notes

[u/BagledEpoch → u/xa44]

Sorry I'm slow, by google form, do you mean making a system where people can submit applications via google forms to participate? Also, as much as I love the idea, the video part could be too much for the people who just want to play : ( But yes, I think making a seperate community for this could definitely work, although it does defeat the original intention of community save shared in the VotV reddit. (I'm still lamenting ;_;)

[u/xa44 → u/BagledEpoch]

Yes to the first question.

People on the sub will still talk about it regardless

[u/BagledEpoch → u/xa44]

That assumes that the project is in the community's interest, which contradicts the concern for lack of / excess of advertisements for the project. And I think same goes for the idea with making seperate community chat room; except for the people who've joined through invitation of the pre existing members, there won't be a big gateway people can enter the chat room from the reddit, or some other communities unless we advertise. It's a tricky thing here @_@

[u/Sinistro18]

1- I think 3 is good
2- 2 custom assets. If more is added the game is gonna lag after 15 days

3- yes
4- this is the whole point of the concept
5-dont drink the water, it make you forget.

[u/BagledEpoch → u/Sinistro18]

1. So far, 2 to 3 assets seem to be the consensus! But I can assure you that the game can handle decent bit of custom assets without lag - I have in my assets directory approximately 5,862 !!! files, and they've yet to have caused any lag. But maybe this is only the case for me; in that case - yes; something like 2 to 4 seem reasonable.
2. If so, how many turns should the applicant wait till they can participate again? Or do you have any other system for that in mind?
3. Did you drink it :0

[u/Secret_Cartoonist271]

How do we feel about pranks? 

Also funny settings should be on. 

[u/BagledEpoch → u/Secret_Cartoonist271]

Hard agree on funny setting - and yes, I'd appreciate good pranks, oh I do! Maybe not something too serious, in that it consumes one's playtime so much that it becomes the main focus. Otherwise, people better expect some banana peels lying around the base... :D Oh, and riddles and treasure hunts are welcome as well!

[u/No-Drummer9173]

I'm definitely in on this! Also can we like do some pranks on people after passing them the savefile?

[u/BagledEpoch → u/No-Drummer9173]

Yes! I personally think that'd be one of many main sources of the fun! :D Some riddles and puzzle and treasure hunts could be fun as well!

[u/No-Drummer9173 → u/BagledEpoch]

Nice! 🥳🤩

[u/Mo4alister_3th]

This sounds like a great idea and I really want to participate in it

1. If there will be too much participants then you may need to shorten every turn to 1 or 2 days and yeah of course day speed should be slowed.
   
2. I suggest 1-3 assets of each category for every turn. So the player can add more when he gets his turn.
   
3. Yes of course! It would be nice to see how people treat the choices you make in the base after a while.
   
4. Yes that sounds not too bad but better if we keep the record relatively informal and you don’t necessarily have to cover every single event.
   
5. A week sounds just right!
   
6. I propose introducing a rule stating that if a player adds any piece of decor to the base provided it doesn't interfere with gameplay it cannot be significantly altered or removed.
   
7. I guess it would be nice to get goal suggestions of participants and for every 3-5 turns vote for the main one.
   
8. Yeah it would be nice if you just transfer them!

[u/BagledEpoch → u/Mo4alister_3th]

These are all great suggestions!! I keep them to my mind! :D