MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENTS

[mayfield_mods]

Beginning this month, there will be some major changes to how we do Applications and Activity Check. We will be moving to an every-other-month cycle, as has been suggested to us.

How Does It Work?

Both Activity Checks and Applications will occur every other month. So, AC will occur this month as scheduled on Monday, and in August apps will open as scheduled on Friday, August 3rd. However, in August, there will be no Activity Check. In September, there will be no Application cycle, and Activity Check will occur on the first Friday of the month, September 7. The full schedule of Activity Checks and Application Cycles will be updated here shortly. September AC will accept activity dating back from the scheduled processing of the July warned list (July 30). In the future, you will be able to determine in advance the cut off date for activity by looking at when the most recent scheduled processing date was.

There will be other AC and App changes as well!

Starting in August, applications will be capped at 50. This means that applications will be open for a week as usual, but if we receive 50 applications before the week ends, we will close apps early. We may reduce this number over the course of the coming months but you will have advance notice.

Starting this month, the requirements for AC will change. Instead of the previous confusing standard, we will now require:

- 15 comments from your character
- A post counts as 5 comments (not including comments you make on that post)
- Your 15 comments must involve threads with at least two different characters

Beyond that, what form your AC takes (two long threads, one post where you commented ten times, fifteen threads where you only commented once, etc.) is up to you.

However, for this month only, we will accept the previous AC standard (three threads where you commented four or more times with three different characters, or five threads getting close to four or more comments) if you would prefer, since this was short notice about the change.

Why all these sudden changes?

Well, this has been needed for a while. However, we also have a much bigger announcement to make. This is something we've been discussing for a while now, but we've decided that it's now the time to announce and get started.

MAYFIELD IS GOING INTO END GAME!

Mayfield is now entering the end of its plot. While we prefer to let things develop organically and therefore cannot give a completely firm end date, our plan is for Mayfield to wrap up early next year, most likely in late January. So there is quite a bit of Mayfield left to go, but we wanted to let you know our plans.

Why now?

The mods all came to Mayfield with a long term plot in mind, and that this would be a game where that plot would be resolved. We've always admired games where the mods knew it was the game's time, but made sure things went out on a bang rather than a whimper.

That's our feel too. Our ability to mod has been dwindling, but more importantly, we've noticed the size of the playerbase and overall activity has been dwindling. While we could replace ourselves as mods and keep the game going for a long time until it gradually winds down, we would much rather resolve hanging plot threads and give Mayfield an exciting "series finale". This isn't a case of no one else gets to play with our toys, but rather that all of us are very, very committed to seeing this game through because of how much we care about the game.

What's going to happen?

From now until endgame, we will be having quite a few big, plotty events that will have consequences that don't just vanish. Some things may change very suddenly! There will be down time to just RP as well, but it will be hard to ignore what's happening.

However, this also will make possible something players have wanted for a long time: the chance for characters to have a real impact on the plot. The decisions made, the clues found, the resistances formed and the player plots you run all may have a lasting impact on what happens in the game.

Why should I care?

This is the problem plagued by many games that are ending: people know it's ending so they don't invest in making CR, they find new games, they let their interest die. We know some of that is inevitable but we hope we can avoid it here.

We are committed to making endgame exciting and fun, with plots at the level you expect from Mayfield. But we can only give back what you put into it. If players remain engaged and have their characters engage in the plot going ons, it will be a better experience for everyone.

On that note, we will be making other changes.

We will be closing the Player Plot Page as is

Since the game will be very busy with mod plot, we aren't going to be allowing any more player plots in the vein of 'my regained flesh eating bacteria is on the loose!'

However, we will be reopening that page shortly in a different form; it will become a place to request NPC action and exploration. Organized resistance groups can give us their plans and we can comments and plot with them; anyone who wants to explore a particular area can request mod involvement. Please keep in mind that especially right before or during events, it may not be possible for us to respond quickly or do anything that requires heavy mod involvement because of time constraints.

We are putting out an immediate call for helpers!

We will need additional help to do everything needed to get us through end game. While we're calling this position helper, it will be a little different than previously. We'll see what you're interested in doing and what your time looks like, and then will give you responsibilities based on that. Helpers now, unlike previously, will be very involved in plot and NPCing. If you don't want endgame spoilers we'll keep that in mind with what we assign you to do.

This is a big commitment, but it is also one that will only last through January. If interested, please sign up here.


Thank you so much for being with us through the years, and we hope, even if you're sad to see us go, you're excited to see what's coming! Any comments or questions are very welcome.

Comments

[myblimpisbigger]

Question on AC-- if you make a post and use it for AC, can you not use any of the comment threads on that post? Is it an either/or thing, or if you make a post and then comment five times each to two different people who tag in, would that cover the entire AC?

[crusthatecean]

You can use the comments in that post as well as the post. So yeah, that would cover AC.

[sothis_rising]

I have a very strange question. Are you guys planning on making another game? While I'm really upset about Mayfield ending, especially since I love it so much, since there isn't anything I can do to change the fact I'd really love to join another game you guys are modding too. Since I really like how you handle games and the like.

[crusthatecean]

Aww, that's very sweet of you!

I think the answer is probably not, but who knows what will happen in 6 months! At this time, no one has any plans to make a new game. But I will say that once the game ends, we will probably set up a Mayfield musebox type thing for people who aren't quite ready to leave their CR behind.

[sothis_rising]

That'll be great. I know there's been a lot of talk on Plurk about how sad we are that it's ending. The sentiments that I expressed aren't just mine. We all think you guys are amazing at what you do and are wonderful storytellers. If you did make a new game you've have a fast growing and strong player base coming with you. Please keep us in the loop if there is a decision to make a new game. We'd gladly follow you.

[ex_seventh238]

UNPOPULAR OPINION and concerns here, but I'd like to voice it and see what the mods think. Apps are every two months now, that's understandable since the game is scheduled to end within the next 6 months. However, is it really wise to space out AC and make it every two months as well? If things are coming to a climax, I would imagine events will be fast-paced and require quick response. Everyone has RL outside of RP, I understand, but the outcome to event A and B will need to be sorted out if the results will impact event C and D that are waiting to happen, etc - which has been an issue for many players during the Carnival event. Being held in limbo sucks. Making the AC easier will encourage squatters to cling on just for end-game for the sake of being there and risk hold-ups to occur more often, slowing everything down instead of making it run. People will be able to sit there and cling on even if they're not active/has voice issues and so on, only poking in to start things but not capable of bringing stuff to a conclusion. I know I may be speculating and throwing 'what ifs' out there, but it just doesn't seem like a good idea to me at all to increase AC leniency when the game is supposed to be wrapping itself up from now on. ...Hope that makes sense, ;;

[pasodoble]

I think it makes sense and I have to agree for all of the reasons mentioned.

I feel like the current AC requirements are easy enough to be monthly and too lenient to be every two months. I mean, this isn't what I plan to do but with the way the requirements are set up now, I could be inactive a whole month, make AC the next month, repeat until the end, and leave cast mates/house mates/etc in RP limbo which just isn't cool.

I know the announcement has already been made and all but. . . idk, I hope the mods will reconsider or address this some how?

[crusthatecean]

The reason we made AC easier is pretty much 100% because we, as mods, will need more time to do endgame stuff. I understand your concerns but yeah, the change was because we badly needed to alter the current workload and AC is something that takes a lot of time.

[ex_seventh238]

Thanks for clearing it up, that does make sense. Would you guys consider it then, if someone/people are willing, or would volunteer, to do technical helper mod work for the AC every month so that it's still manageable as a whole? I know a request for aid with the plot has been specified, but if you get enough submissions you'd trust with that sort of work, is there any chance that the monthly AC schedule may be kept?

[mayfield_mods]

No, I think that's pretty unlikely.

[ex_seventh238]

Hmm, alright. Thanks for answering!

[notintwopieces]

Oh Hell Yeah! Now I *really* want to amp up Jazz's revolutionary behavior! I'll totally be getting with the mods to plot out npc reactions to things! Eeeeeh!

[virtualdiva]

...and suddenly I am so glad I apped Sam in, fff. BUT I WILL BE SAD TO SEE THIS GAME GO, OH MAN.

[atailoftwoworlds]

Are we still able to do Player Plots that were previously approved before Endgame announcement?

[mayfield_mods]

You may if they were approved and given the go ahead date wise. So must happen during July basically.

[x_geminisyndrome_x]

I got the AC requirements after reading them over loads of times but now I get it.

Anyway.

I hope that you make another game after Mayfield, because I love this game so much ^^

[fearmylaserface]

Just out of curiosity: Have the mods given consideration to the possibility of condensing things down a little in housing? I know we have the housing change form, but it seems like the game might actually benefit from possibly cutting down on the number of houses, perhaps by combining some of the ones that can be and shuffling entire houses on streets.(If not now, perhaps after the August app cycle ends?)

With the changes in apps, and the endgame coming, it seems unlikely that the game is ever really going to fill the number of houses it has now. (I'm also speaking as someone that has just recently lost their character's only housemate, that would love the chance at that kind of CR.)

[Edi: And then I see the mass influx of apps. Guess I was wrong. But it's something to keep in mind if apps die down, at least.]

[adventurerextraordinaire]

You seemed pretty clear about this but 8'm asking anyway just in case. This means my player plot that was scheduled for next week is cancelled, right?