[Meta Thread] Lord Windos' PokeRole Adventure 2: The Wild Lands

[Redstone]

Spoiler

*Claps Hands*

So! I have managed to get a bit of time to actually post (and a stable enough connection to do so...), so allow me to follow up on my previous post: my future plans for the campaign!

Immediate Concern: The Super Boss Fight

Honestly, by and large I think I did a relatively good job of executing what I think could've been a 'standard' going forward for BIG Boss Fights with this 'trail run' of sorts with the Hateful Sandlossugeist. While their were problems in execution on my part - I could've done the Fusion better with Spirit, and generally found more things to do with Iron's and Mika's PCs - I believe for the most part reception to everything about what a truly dangerous and risky Encounter has been stellar in both enjoyment and what you guys potentially take away from it. 

You guys got thrilling battles and saw your plans turn out relatively well, and you got the see and experience the consequences of tangooing with some of the WORST things you can in Sutalor. (Hopefully) After this is all said and done you guys will fully appreciate just how..... bracing my campaign will be once the difficulty spikes , Fortune Favors you good and bad, or you do something.....bold that warrants an equally bold response.

However....its not all great, and having all this....off time to think about things have made me recognize several things that I need to address...

1) I jumped the horse on this whole thing, more or less. From the very Encounter itself to several moments (You know the ones), this whole thing more or less became bigger than it probably should've been. At most this should've been a simple Obstacle -> Super Boss rather than the gauntlet and WAR I set up, and at least the drama should've been just contained to a new roaming Threat ala Ralice (status pending on if we should put ' ' around Threat or not with her....) or some consequences of just leaving a Cursed sandy hellmaw like that on that part of Bayhama and the city as a whole.

Moreover, getting Fayette involved THIS early was....unanticipated, but I let my muse take my hand and thought it would be a good way of both highlighting just how stupid powerful Oz could be in the right circumstance and as a mechanism to A) Gage interest in the Encounter B) Lay some threads for everyone to pick at, and C) an opportunity for some character exploration. I don't regret adding it per say, but I also acknowledge that had I not let myself get swept up in the whole MOOD of things I probably would've done things differently. Alas, what Done is Done.

Going forward, I won't be doing a Super Boss Encounter like THIS for a loooong time. If their is going to be grueling content like this, I'll do it more in a 'progressive-linear' form that includes most everyone involved rather than the divided and complex method I did with this. Pacing is ever a problem with these sorts of games, especially with our wildly differing schedules and responsibilities, so I'll refrain from stuff getting this bogged down again until waaaaay later or you guys end up causing a situation that requires a more dynamic response. Moreover, I'll be 100% sure in getting everyone onboard with the Encounter or try to establish consistent 'alt lines' of progression for non-participants of 'Highlighted' events so that no one is left hanging for longer than maybe a day or two at most.

2) Speaking of Player participation....I'm worried I've ended up screwing that up. I botched the Fusion Event with Oz/Hecate that lead to some....heated problems with Spirit and his PC, I've scared off Phantom from continuing due to the brutality of the Masked Wolf, and....I feel like I've done something wrong with Seddi, as Dragonstrike has been.......quiet for the longest time in the game thread despite my efforts to give him opportunities for his PC to do stuff. Only Akamu has been spared any clumsiness on my part, and that may be due to how relatively out of focus they've been.

Mates, I'm sorry if the ride I'm taking you on has gotten bumpy and shaky at times. I'm trying my best to give you guys as good of an experience as possible, but....I can made mistakes at times. I'm glad to have gotten your feedback on things since it has been very helpful for me to study up on and recognize my failings, and I ask that you keep me 'on the ball' as it were so I don't drift too far off. If I do something outlandish, or if it feels like I'm doing something WRONG with your PCs, do let me know as quickly and respectfully as possible. I want to improve as a GM, and more importantly I just want to make a story that we can all enjoy

3) For the Super Boss itself....I'm going to be honest and say that the whole thing has gone on long enough, even disregarding the 'break' I am on due to internet troubles (I'm posting this from my car right now from a place with decent free public wifi, just letting you guys know) . While I can certainly continue it, I feel like it would be for the best if things ended up the relative 'high note' they did rather than let the whole thing drag on longer and for more PROBLEMS to arise for each individual PC. However, I respect your guys wishes if you want to continue and seek more challenges and a fitting resolution to things. So....I'll put up a Poll in a subsequent post about What To Do with the Super Boss, as I think it deserve space on its own to respond to rather than in this massive text dump. Let me know what you guys think, please!

Non-Immediate Concerns: What Happens After The Super Boss

Here is the general 'outcome' of things afterwards, without going into to many details in fear of Spoilers and ruining surprises:

- Their will be a Time Skip for a few days to give the party to rest up and recover from the Super Boss. How that time will be spend and what happens is still in flux (you haven't won or given up yet, after all), but what you are guaranteed to get out of it is essentially a 'Refresh' on your Pokemon. Everyone's Will shall be topped to Max, pesky problems will have resolved with individual Pokemon, PCs will have a chance to Bond with their more problematic Mons, and I'll try to get everyone's Inventories and missing Data fully updated. This is more or less to get everyone on equal footing and provide a quick way of getting everyone's own Sheets in order if they have been lagging behind updating things!

- I plan on the Party leaving Bayhama shortly after their rest, since I image everyone is probably raring to get at the wider (and Wilder) region after such a prolonged tutorial. What way will depend on various factors, but regardless it'll be clear which ways are going to be heavily suggested In-Game. I heavily prefer the Party stay as one regardless of which way you leave the city, but I'm willing to allow for a split party if given good enough reasons for it. Regardless, expect any lingering plotthreads for any PC to either get tied up real quickly or for them to rear their head at the last moment.

- Due to you guys unintentionally antics you have greatly shifted and altered my Plans for things Bayhama and the Plot going forward as a whole (humerously and endearingly frustratingly enough), which will soon be clear HOW once I get around to revealing it in proper. From which and thereof a few of the 'Primary Plotlines' I got planned out will kick into motion, so get ready to either 'buy into it' them or ignore it in favor of pursuing your own goals/other Plot Lines.

- I have ideas to involve more Super Mariomon Content, as well as including some additions from other fangames outside of the planned lineup of Pokemon and stuff I have outlined for Sutalor. They won't be HUGE things (or at least that's not my intent...), but what is on offer should be plenty nice enough...I hope!

- Regardless of everything else The Astral Companions have Been Noticed Greatly by the various Powers To Be due to the Super Boss and they prior shenanigans they got up to. Effects of this? Who knows.....

- I do have a 'Fun and Wild' Day Long Event in the works, but I won't be springing that on you for awhile since I think you guys need a break after the Super Boss is said and done. I also have been working on the 'Winter Reckoning' I promised to do but couldn't get to due to my life (and myself) being a mess at the time, but  don't expect that to happen until roughly around December or so....if life doesn't get me in a chock hold once more.

- If you guys have any questions on the campaign in general (as in what direction(s) its going in, mechanics, curiosities, concerns, etc.) please let me know!

Alright, that should be it for now....though I bet I'm missing something that'll I have to address later. If that happens *Shrugs* I'll get to it while giving myself a facepalm if what I forgot was too obvious. No ETA yet on when I'll get things resumed, but my provider has been making noises my way that they THINK they found what is wrong with my internet so fingers crossed they get it fixed ASAP!

First of all I'm happy to see you're back! I missed the funny shenanigans in my pc and will kick your connection in the shins.

As for the post I agree with not repeating this type of boss for a while. I also don't mind Akamu having stayed low in the happenings so far, after all part of the strategy was starting to hit real hard now when it concidered the others bigger threats.

The plans for the future look solid, as for the boss outcome im split on Retcon and Slay. Both options do make sense to me and im having some trouble choosing.