outofalpha | What's coming in 2017

I want to apologize to all of the Alpha players for the delay in daychanges this month. I realize I probably sound like a broken record at this point and that everyone has been busy over the holiday season, but I am working on plans so that I won't bring the game to a halt like this again. I wanted to give you a brief update of what is going on behind the scenes so you know what kind of plots/changes are coming.

I won't be posting DC 120 until this Sunday, January 1st. That way we can start fresh on our weekly schedule.
All players who were on activity warning until the end of December will have the warning period extended to the end of January. I realize that my delay in posting daychanges may have limited your ability to tag and I apologize. You will, however, be expected to meet the standard activity requirements.
We will be gearing up Secret Society recruitments, which may cause character goals to come into direct conflict with each other, or require them to work together. If you'd like for your character to be approached by a specific secret society, let me know! Otherwise, they may be randomly selected or recruited based on their actions in game. This is a great way to get involved or side missions in game if you're looking for something more for your character.
NPCs will have a more direct effect on characters in the future. You may see some pop up more than others in the future for plot purposes. As a player you are welcome to use random NPCs as necessary. Annoying coworkers, suspicious IntSec agents, stalkish SSA members, thuggish Free Enterprise goons - have fun with Alpha's citizens! There are a few NPCs that are being used to further gamewide plots and you may see them pop up here and there in threads. If you are interested in interacting with these NPCs, or even playing a plot centric NPC please contact me. These NPCs are key to forward moving plots however, so I only ask that if you pick one up that you have not been listed for an activity warning and are able to manage your current characters as well. These NPCs will mainly be used to pass important information to the Specials and/or to open doors for them.
Character jobs may be ramped up a little more so that certain assignments or job duties can be used to interact with or create conflict with other characters more. I know choosing a job can sometimes be the most difficult part of the application process because the titles can be very vague, but this is actually an opportunity for your character to push the envelope on what their job actually is. If you have any questions on what possibilities there might be in your current position, I am always happy to brainstorm with you. The truth is, in Alpha, you can talk, bribe or con your way into almost anything. Also, remember that you are free to change positions at any point through your character's choice or the powers that be.
Beginning with DC120, all characters presently in game will have their memories wiped of departing characters. However, the things that those characters have left behind - such as physical additions or changes they may have made to Alpha in the Specials HQ, or in establishing businesses, or Alpha protocols will remain. Characters are free to fill in the gaps the best they can. However, as all characters know the memory wipe process can be glitchy and they may have memories resurface over time of departed characters in Alpha. Feel free to explore what these random and confusing memories might mean for your characters. This should make it easier for people bringing back departed characters and also avoid the harsh emotional blow of each departing character's fate.
Promotions are determined by random dice rolls because the Computer's favor can change on a moment's notice. However, mission outcomes and character actions over the active period also add and detract points that go into figuring up whether or not a character is promoted. The higher the clearance level your character is, the longer it may take to get to the next clearance level. It also means that your character is given more in game responsibility and made a target. However, if you would like your character to move up the ranks in Alpha and aren't sure how to win the Computer's favor, we can always brainstorm ways for you to get them there.

Lastly, if you have any ideas for gamewide plots that you'd like to see, I am always open to them! Feel free to comment to this post with ideas, or you can always use the mod contact post.

I will be adding these changes to the rules and mod entries this weekend as well as catching up on everyone's financials. If you have any questions, please contact me @samame on plurk or comment below. And as always, thank you for making this game so great. I'm excited to see what we have in store for Alpha this year.

Sam