Hello, Metem!
First off, happy pre-Thanksgiving. I hope you all have a lovely holiday. This also means that we are exactly one month from the Winter Solstice! You guys excited? I know I am, because two very special things will be happening then!
Obviously, the 21st will herald the births of the Next Gens. So, if you haven't decided on names, PBs, powers and custody, now is the time to be doing so. Everyone should be fully prepared to make birth announcements next month. Oh, and just in case you're wanting to know such things,
here are some labor-and-delivery things you might want to know about.
Secondly, and probably even MORE exciting... On December 21st, Metempsychosis will be expanding and opening up the Mayan pantheon. Just the one for now, but we will now have seven pantheons instead of six. So, if you've been holding out for some Mayan figures, now's your big chance! ^_^ I tell you this now so that you can have them ready to app if you want to on Opening Day.
Plot-wise, we are just about finished on the strategy thread--Dite has the floor open for any questions or concerns. Otherwise, the discussion is over and the godlings will be returning to their normal lives in the real world on whatever day we get that wrapped up. Assume there was a "honeymoon" period at the Maison between that discussion and the day they return where you can have encounters or whatever you like. Yes, as always, you are all welcome to backdate logs and whatnot.
But, that's not all. This may not be something you like hearing, but it does need to be done for the good of the game. Admittedly, I've been pretty lax on things like activity and whatnot, but that's going to change come January. Sorry, guys, but I am going to start enforcing the rules on that here very soon. With it being the holidays and people being busy and all, I'm willing to let things slide through the end of the year, but now is the time to get into good habits before I have to bring the hammer down.
Just to refresh everyone's memory: every character is required to contribute to the game FIVE times every month, be it through posts, logs, comments, or a combination of the above. You are also required to TAG every entry you post on with your characters' names. Characters who fail to meet the minimum activity requirements will be moved to Standby status during the next month. If they make the activity requirements while on Standby, they will be moved back to active status. If not, they
will be removed from the game after two consecutive months of insufficient activity. If you know you will not be able to make requirements, you MUST request a formal hiatus and/or speak with me about the situation, or else you will still be held to the requirements. If a character is removed from the game due to lack of activity and you still wish to play him/her, you will be required to wait 14 days and then formally resubmit the application. If you feel there were extenuating circumstances preventing you from posting or from contacting me about it, you may appeal, and things will be decided on a case-by-case basis.
Also, we're going to be changing how the activity checks are done starting with the check for January activity (which will begin on February 1). Previously, I would just go through the tags for the month and count them up for you guys. Not anymore--now YOU will be responsible for reporting your activity each month. Beginning on the first, I will put up an activity check post on the OOC and you will have until the 3rd to post links proving at least five contributions for the month. Failure to respond to the Activity Check post within that timeframe will result in AUTOMATICALLY being moved to Standby/removed from the game
even if you had sufficient activity for the month, unless you notify me in advance that you'll be unable to respond during that time.
Also, guys, I know I try to let you know when announcements go up, just because I don't make all that many of them, but, really. It is YOUR responsibility to make sure you're checking the OOC board--just because I'm
a mom doesn't mean I'm
your mom. As a rule of thumb, you can expect things typically on the 1st and 13th of any given month. You should also be able to set up alerts to let you know when new posts go up. Please use these resources and/or stay vigilant. I don't want to hear any excuses about not knowing something because you failed to check the boards.
Ladies and gentlemen, I'm not asking a lot from you. I'm really not. And in the event you still can't make it, I am very easy to reach--all you have to do is let me know about it as soon as you can. So please, we're all grown-ups here--we can take responsibility for our own activity, and this makes it a lot easier on me, so I really appreciate your cooperation.
As always, if you have any questions, comments or concerns, let me know.