A Special Announcement

[lucetimods]

Citizens of Luceti, I have news.


I'm sure many of you have noticed that Luceti isn't quite the game it used to be. Mod turnover and decreased activity/applications have pushed it onto the downslope for a while now, and while it's by no means dead, it isn't exactly thriving, either. And going by the feedback we've received on recent HMDs, the consensus between many players is that everything, not just Luceti, is slowing down. I've been in semi-denial for a while now, but it's pretty undeniable at this point. One glance at the app page this cycle is proof enough.

A recent mod pow-wow revealed that after the conclusion of this plot, Kyo and Katsu will be stepping down as mods. And as a group we decided that rather than trying to recruit more mods and get them up to speed in the hopes of picking things back up again, at this point we decided that it's time to let it go gracefully.

The short version: within the next couple of months, Luceti will be moving towards endgame and will close.

The good news is, we have a plan, and it's not super time-sensitive so it can happen whenever it feels right, meaning between now and then is time for whatever we'd like to do pre-conclusion. But it won't be far away, so brace yourselves.


What does this mean for now?

For the moment, nothing. The show will go on as planned for the next couple of weeks, and more details about the changes will come to light when the plot is completely sorted and everyone returns to the future. However, the following changes will begin immediately:

1) Activity Check will become a check-in. No comment count, no thread requirement. Just your name and the characters you play. This will be in effect until we end.

2) Apps will be open all the time. We don't really get enough to merit closing them, and with the game ending there's not really any expectations for a lot to come in, but for those who want to join for some short-term CR and the finale, can't hurt. (If we get a sudden inexplicable rush this might change, but for now this'll be in place.)

3) Previously played characters are welcome to return for endgame. I'm going to create a returning-character app on the app page in the next day or so. The only requirements would be contact info, timeline, and a link to the journal you used. No samples, no rewrites. Anyone is welcome to bring back an old character as long as that character is not taken in-game now.

Otherwise, start thinking about stuff you want to do with your characters in the near future, because it'll be your last chance to do it in Luceti.


On the maintenance side of things:

I'd like to sincerely thank Kyo and Katsu for being a part of the team; Kyo's contributions over the years have been awesome and his stepping up to be a plot mod was an immense help, and Katsu brought in a lot of ideas for the plot and NPCs that we wouldn't have if not for her. You guys have been great, and everyone should applaud and thank them for the work they've done. And for the record, no blame whatsoever for the game's ending should be placed on them for leaving, so I'm asking that people refrain from implying such, anon or otherwise.

I would also like to thank Kath and Kaze for joining the team; it's thanks to them and their willingness to stay on until the conclusion that we're even having an endgame, as I'm not sure I could handle it alone. Kath's creativeness and and Kaze's workaholic enthusiasm for the job has been a joy, and I'm excited to bring the game to a finale with them on board.


On a more personal note:

This might seem weird to say after all that word-vomit, but I'm not sure what to say. This is one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make. Yes, it's just an RP, but Luceti has been a huge part of my life for the last seven years, and I've been on the mod team for almost as long as I've been a player. Maybe that's too long, and maybe I'm just tired. I won't deny that this decision is almost as much a relief as it is a loss. I worry about the future, I worry about regretting it, I worry about losing the many wonderful and talented friends I've made over the years in this place when we lose the one thing that's held us all together.

More than anything, though, I'm so happy to have been a part of this for as long as it's existed; I'm glad to see it from beginning to end, and I hope that despite the fact that it is ending, that you guys will have fun in the next couple of months until we part ways.

Thank you, all of you. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Let's all work together to make the finale awesome, okay? <3

If you have any questions or grievances or anything else for that matter, feel free to throw them at me, privately or here.

Comments

[corrinesbell]

First and most important things first, it's been an incredible seven years (oh my word seven years) and you deserve thanks for carrying us along this far too! So thank you from the bottom of my RP heart.

On the one hand I am surprised and on the other hand I am not. It's not a terrible soulrending surprise, though, as I have in the past feared it might be. From a longtime player perspective, it feels right, and we all totally deserve a graceful ending - and an ending, not some kind of drifty fadeout.

I want something worth toasting, and we are all awesome enough that I'm sure we'll get it.

[chikaidestroyer]

I'll echo Vil with a big thank you for seven wonderful, amazing years here in Luceti. I hope the planned finale leaves things open for continued opportunities so it really doesn't feel like an "ending" as much as a sendoff to the current norm. (Hint hint. Hahaha.)

I'd always wondered how I would feel about Luceti closing, and there's that mixture of sadness, relief, and deep appreciation for having been on this long RP ride with so many talented people. Hopefully I won't be an utter flake for the endgame, as I've obviously contributed to slowdown in the last few years.

I love this community so much. I've made a lot of friends through this game, and I know I'm not the only one who's still friends with game veterans. The mods have been stellar in the years I've played (Akai, you are especially amazing for your commitment to this game), the creativity and hilarity have been overflowing, and the world-building has always been fascinating.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Here's to an explosive finale and not a quiet whimper into the night years from now.

[saltprince]

I've given a lot of myself to this game, and this game has given a lot back to me - the people running it, the setting, the players, and all the friendships I've made here. I know I've had my ups and downs here and I know the game itself has had its ups and downs too. I love it though, of course I do.

Thank you, though, Akai. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing this to go on so long.

And I hope the ending is fantastic.

[(Anonymous)]

It's been so long, my friends. I've never forgotten all that you taught me in my time here. Not just how to be a fun person to roleplay with, but to be a better person in real life as well. Luceti was my home, a long, long time ago. A place that I parted with on, perhaps, not the best of terms. But it's remained long in my heart, as a wonderful place, where I made so many wonderful friends. From the tiny fledgling game in a tiny village in a bubble, to the chaotic force of strategic and military madness in war against the unknown, I have watched it grow and flourish, now to eventually die as all things must.

Farewell, Luceti. May you be remembered fondly.

[jailbirdprosecutor]

I'm gonna start by echoing everyone above me: Thank you. Thank you so much, mods of Luceti, for your hard work through the years. Current mods and past mods, who all helped to shape the game in their own way. And thanks to the playerbase, of course.

As another one of those people who spent almost seven years in Luceti (I'm two months away from the anniversary, I think?), I owe a lot to this place. Not only have mods and players shaped this game, this game has shaped me. I laughed so much, I learned so much, I've grown so much. Most importantly, I've met so many wonderful people. It's been an amazing experience and I'm sad that it has to end, but on the other hand, I can see why it couldn't go on forever.

Thank you all for the wonderful times and here's to going out with a bang. (I'd make some sort of wing pun, but my brain refuses to cooperate)

[lostinmyway]

Holy shit, what a thing to come back from hiatus to see.

Akai, thank you for everything you've done. You've been an incredible mod and you've done so much for the game and everyone in it. Thank you to all our mods, past and present, for making Luceti such a huge success. Honestly, there was a large part of me that never expected Luceti to end, no matter how unrealistic that might be. It's going to take a lot of getting used to, the idea of no longer having the community around, and it's going to be a real wrench.

Thank you for creating what's been a real positive force for me during some of the hardest years of my life. You've all kept me afloat and I am so, so grateful for having the chance to get to know all of you.