Zero Escape: VLDR Hub

Virtue's Last Dangan Ronpa

Re: Zero Escape: VLDR Hub

Postby Cyantic » Sun May 10, 2020 11:35 pm

Image

Amsterdam, Netherlands, European Union
June 29th, 2352
[Sciphol Station]


Spoiler: "I'll see you at the horizon."

He didn't talk about what happened in the Relay. Everyone else did, though. He could see the newspapers at the stands, the delightful calling of breaking news from speakers - waiting for you to drop a pence in and have it uploaded to your reader. He couldn't stomach looking at it. It was clinical. Death reports, factual mistakes, police investigation, anything one would want to know about the event.

Rumours abounded, of course. Questions of terrorism, of accidents, of blaming. He was not one of them. They held him for questioning and let him go, especially as they saw him shake and wretch, convulsing at the memories. All his energy had bled out for fourteen long, painful days. He couldn't keep it going.

When he looked down at his hands, he could see the disease, the blood that he would seem to never be rid of. The bile - not his. Oh, no, it's never that simple. The longer he looked, the worse things felt. When he closed his eyes, those feelings rushed back to him. That's all they were, though. Feelings.

And that hurt worst of all. It couldn't hurt him anymore. When he was in danger, that was enough. He kept going, he couldn't stop to look at the bodies, the screaming, the desperation, the pleas. How many people did he pass, left there, crying out for help, mercy, or just simple acknowledgement of their humanity?

And now their pleas were all rushingly acknowledged, at the last moment, in his mind. It was the scale of things that ruined him. Individual suffering was comprehendible, you could extract something out of it. This was just a genocide. So much of everything - like a hospital burning down in Lahore, maybe. He'd imagine it'd feel the same. The heat on their faces, as the firebombs rain down around them, the sirens going off, the infernal screeching, barely rising above the screams of the patients. The noble few who tried, lay dying just like the rest of them.

He's heard it before. He's seen it before. But... there were so many. One death isn't a tragedy. A million isn't a statistic. It... confuses, it muddles the true scale of it, the meaningless of it all, the chaos, the stench of the dead filling the Relay.

He could feel himself puke into the trash can, but there was never any stopping the thoughts. He wiped his face with a shaky hand in a jacket sleeve.

"Once a winner, always a winner."

That's the quote he would never get out of his mind. The meaning, of course, was a complicated thing. But he survived a fucking slaughterhouse, he won, in a way. Just like how all those fifteen survivors on the Raft of Medusa survived. He understood now on both ends. He believed he never had to understand. But now...

Well. If there was any truth in the dying saying, he felt that it had reached its limit. The rush of survival paled to having to live through it. He shakily lifted his head up, up to the station.

One last train ride home. He never thought he'd so truly regret every step of the way.


This game used a modified (and perhaps mildly complex) stat system. I'll break it down in the spoiler:
Spoiler: STATS
Stats are your all rounder areas - good for everything, but it's not exactly specialised one way or another. These are the most broadly useful.
Code: Select all
STR: 0    |     VIT: 0      |    FAE: 0
-------------------------------------------
ATH: 0    |      -------     |    INT: 0

STRENGTH determines how hard you hit, and how well you carry and use armour or heavy equipment
VITALITY determines how well you survive being hit and your life in general.
FATE determines willpower and to a lesser degree, luck.
ATHLETICS determines general speed.
INTELLIGENCE determines general knowledge, intuition, and you gain one skill point at INT +3, INT +5, and so on.

COMBAT
Combat talents, if you will, determine how effective you are with each class of weapon. +5 is good, -5 is comical for your rolls.
Code: Select all
DLT: 0    |     BLT: 0      |    AIM: 0     |    CQC: 0

DUELIST determines how good you are with pointy things.
BLT determines how good you are with non-pointy things.
AIM determines how accurate you are and is useful if you like ranged attacks.
CQC determines how well you fight with your hands and feet.

SKILLS
Skills function essentially as stat checks - there is no way to 'fail' a skill check like you could with a roll. Someone with Medical 2 will get better results than someone with Medical 0 every time. These will crop up across the game as stat checks for rewards or other options. Failure can be harmful, success can be quite a boon.
Code: Select all
MED: 0    |     MEC: 0      |    MOB: 0     |    SCI: 0

MEDICAL determines how well you work at fixing and healing people. It also determines your knowledge in general with advanced medical equipment - and if it is useful for some reason, how well you understand the human body.
MECHANIST determines how well you understand industrial equipment. Crafting items and using stuff located around the game requires the mechanist skill.
MOBILITY determines your general agility and performing acrobatic feats, getting into small places, and the ability to move better when wounded. It temporarily becomes a combat skill for dodging, but should on affect how it's being rolled.
SCIENTIST determines your understanding of advanced equipment - highly scientific weapons or hacking computers doesn't come with an instruction manual, after all.

Signups will still occur on May 22nd at 3PM central time, though I will warn ahead of time and say the game starting itself might be delayed due to my finals being shifted (again). I will do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't occur, however.

See you May 20th for the final teaser, finalised signup details, and more information on the game. :)
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Re: Zero Escape: VLDR Hub

Postby Cyantic » Wed May 20, 2020 4:06 pm

Image

Titan Global Facility
April 21st, 2358
[Director's Office]


Spoiler: He had read the file seven times.

Seven times too many. He rested his head against his hand, fingers rubbing the sockets. He wasn't... angry. His other hand held the damning file, sordid comments bare to see. No, he couldn't be angry. It's been so long. If he said that enough times, it would be true, right? Somewhere over his desk lay a melting glass of sour whiskey, somewhere over his desk was the keys for the room so he could call it a night.

He didn't move for them.

Life is a series of closing doors, he realised far too late. You can't kick them open, you can't ratfuck them back open, you can't do anything. When they're shut, they're shut for good. He lifted his head and drifted back to the sprawling words on the file, like he expected something to be different. There were words - his mother, he thinks, before she passed - condolences.

"There's not really any shame in dying for nothing. That's how most people die."

And as he read again, the eighth time, he felt some sort of dismal sorrow about it. In some way, he hoped there was a cosmic conspiracy. He wasn't just Alex, he was his friend. He wasn't some man. He felt like that should've meant something to the universe. But as he read, it felt more like a mocking joke.

Some things he didn't know about. Most things... he guessed at, kind of knew in the back of his head. Nothing surprising. Nothing that made a man legendary, larger than life, the kind of thing that gets statues on Dixie Street for you. He was just a man, and that was the bitterest pill of them all at the end. His failures, successes, triumphs... all of it reduced to black text on a file.

Life is short. Fuckin' banal. It shouldn't have been like this. It... it... he didn't really know what it should've been. But it should've been something at the end. That's what it should've been. A burning blaze of glory.

He shut the file halfway through, and threw it on the desk. He knew he'd never read it again. Perhaps it's better to never touch it again. Sentimental shit was never his style, and this past week has been aggravating him far too much. He was a scientist, at the end. And as he headed out the door, that damn thought kept banging around in his head.

"I'll see you at the horizon."

He looked at the picture he kept on his desk - the two of them, celebrating the opening of Titan. And he swallowed, and he turned, and he promised to himself that he was only doing it for scientific purposes.



CHARIOT II
Titan Facility
May 22nd, 2362
Executive Room


He lit a cigar in a plush room, machines spewing reels of data, and settled in for abject failure for the second time in his life.


ZTD takes place in a vaguely dystopian world - governments and regional unions tend to be corrupted, marked by illiberal democracies and a lack of accountability. Slummy conditions are prominent and most of the advanced technology used is something that has only been seen on TV for most people. Feel free to pester me with setting questions - I don't mind. (I'll probably take a very laissez-faire approach to this, as long as it doesn't contradict what's been written.)

ZTD signups will occur at May 22nd, 7PM Central, Character creation and a pre game will occur before hand, so actual game start will most likely be around May 27 or May 29, depending on a few factors. Please PM me your signups - the information doesn't really matter just as long as you say something like 'join ZTD' or 'join'. Whatever. It's all cool. Send me cute plague doctor pics, actually. That'd be ideal.

All roles have an ability attached to them - it's up to you if that's something your character always has had, discovered, or stumbled upon in game. In general, character creation and freedom is fairly open.

The game will be using LoFBot, as he's been courteous enough to allow me to use it. Signups will be done via PM and then manually added in to the game - be sure to join his server.

Stat specialisation will be detailed in the OP of the game, and of course, I will be available to help. The stats should be more of a personal nightmare, whereas for everyone else its dumping it in and forgetting,

Feel free to ask any questions to me about the game, and I'll do my best to answer 'em. arc is gay
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Re: Zero Escape: VLDR Hub

Postby PolyesterHomes » Thu May 21, 2020 8:57 pm

VLDR: Convention of the Minds


August 24th, 2030:
Spoiler: You stand amongst a bonfire with a group of your companions, surrounded by the bone-chilling winter of the Rocky Mountains. You are surrounded by mountains of white powder stretching for miles, unabated by plantlife or civilization. The mood is melancholy, and the air smells of burnt paper. Mournfully, you take out a picture of your estate in Sacramento. It’s a beautiful little building. 16,000 square feet, a wonderful view of the city, and a backyard pool. Your companions look at you and sigh.

“I didn’t think you were one to live in the past.”

You let out a smile. You knew that in about a week, maybe two, the mob would burst down the mansion doors for your head, and find nothing but an empty furnished house as if you had simply disappeared into the wind. You open your mouth to dispense your response.


“There's nothing wrong with keeping a memory of better times. There is a difference between forgetting and letting go.”

You toss a pile of hundreds into the fire to keep it burning and to emphasize your point. You had no use for money anymore. It was going to be all but worthless in a week. As if the thought was brought upon by your action, one of your close friends, John, speaks up.

“...Why did you choose to go here anyway? We could have just taken a plane to the UK. We could apply for refugee status while we’re on vacation…”


You roll your eyes. There were about 16 bodies in total, all dressed in winter apparel and appropriate mountain gear. About 8 of them were scientists, 3 were simply friends of yours, and the rest were business associates that helped you sneak out of the city.

“I told you, I'm getting picked up. They promised to take the rest of you to our operating base in New Zealand. New Zealand isn’t taking any travelers from here, so that’s what we had to do in order to bring you there. Besides, the UK isn’t safe either. After the US tumbles they’ll follow suite.”


As you spoke, you thought back to your initial encounter with the survey. Such an innocent little thing. Looking at it, you would be mistaken for thinking that it was made by college students for college students. However, the fact it was mailed to you, in particular, was suspicious enough for you to answer it.


Help us gauge the state of the Union. Take this survey for a chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to Yellowstone National Park! The Top Participants will be selected for a special prize!


After you mention the base in New Zealand, the scientists stare at you blankly and shake their heads. They no doubt remembered what you told them before you departed, of your ambition. Your plan was absurd. It broke most rules of biology and was very obviously ethically questionable. You sigh and elaborate on your reasoning.

“It has to be done. We can’t let this sort of thing keep happening to people. It’s a travesty, we can’t abide by it. Some things will have to be sacrificed, but it’s for the best.”


Though your friends nod along, the business associates looked at you skeptically, even more so than the scientists.

As promised, you were extracted later that day, and brought to a bomb shelter as promised. There, you learned that your friends and business contacts were killed en route to New Zealand. It was a terrible thing to learn, you really liked those people. They were hardly the first ones you lost. Many more people were killed in the previous months due to terrorism, vigilante action, and revolutionary activity.

The activities that inspired your initial investments a decade ago were repeating again, but this time it was in your home country.

You didn’t work fast enough. You couldn’t save them. You were too late.

At least the scientists made it. As long as they live, your dream is still alive. The dead may be gone, but you can still save lives. You’re so close. You just need to see it to the finish.




----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is the political-themed VLDR game I have been teasing for a long time. Due to the subject matter at hand, I expect a degree of seriousness from participants, as well as a good deal of activity. I would like to note the following things to those seeking to participate:

1: Expect fairly standard VLDR roles.
2: You will be given roles with some amount of backstory already in place. There isn't much there, but what is there will distinctly color the kind of person you are. Although I do expect you to follow this, I am more than willing to be flexible on how you play your character or what they believe. We can all act like adults here.
3: Stay civil and keep things within the game.
4: This game will be grounded in reality.
5: Pre-ins are done through the survey. The first six people that I trust absolutely to do well will get them. How you answer the survey will influence the character you get. I recommend going in with an idea in mind. If you answer the survey please let me know through ToS PM's or Discord.
6: I will be using this system for combat. You only need to look at the stats and the combat section to be a player, do not be intimidated by the size. The rest is there for transparency and those interested in running the system in the future. It is subject to change until June 10th, in which case I will definitely stop messing with it.
7: Puzzles will all be optional.

Full rule list will come when the thread is posted.
Last edited by PolyesterHomes on Wed May 27, 2020 6:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Whisper in the dark. The battle may yet be won."
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Re: Zero Escape: VLDR Hub

Postby Nellyfox » Thu May 21, 2020 9:45 pm

Hi.

It's been a few months since the last VLDR Survey. I'd like to do another one in order to generate topics that need to be talked about. Maybe I'll convince Met and Arc or whoever to do another episode of the VLDR Podcast with stuff that gets brought up. We'll see.

Give me a hand if you desire. Here is the link. This survey is more hefty than the last one so it may take a while to get through. No rush, no pressure. :)
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Re: Zero Escape: VLDR Hub

Postby PolyesterHomes » Wed May 27, 2020 6:13 pm

Would #5 please reveal their identity to me via Private Messaging?

Also, there is a survey in the spoiler. That's what this is about. I'll be ignoring all future submissions with the #5.
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Re: Zero Escape: VLDR Hub

Postby PolyesterHomes » Thu May 28, 2020 6:19 pm

April 3rd, 2024:
Spoiler: A lone man sat in front of a chessboard.

“...Fancy a game of chess, Chairman?" The man spoke with a sly smile, full of self-confidence and smugness. Not waiting for a response that wasn't coming, he spoke up. "Glad to hear it. I’ll play white if that’s alright with you.”

He smiled as he moved his piece across the board.

“Opening move,” the man began narrating his own actions. Not bothering to move his piece, of which there was only a king, he instead chose to remove a black bishop from the board.

June 7th, 2024:
CNN BREAKING: Missile Silo in China sabotaged by unknown elements


June 8th, 2024:
FOX: China mobilizes Special Forces to hunt Silo Saboteurs


A black Knight now sat on C6, having been right next to the bishop that disappeared.

“...I see you opened with your knight. That's not a bad move. Rushing me down is probably your best bet at the moment.”

The man's casual demeanor disappeared in an instant. Although he enjoyed participating in these engagements, he wasn't ignorant of the consequences. Still maintaining a degree of confidence, he placed a white pawn on E2.

June 20th, 2024:
BBC: Investigative Query launched on key Chinese Military officials.


The Knight had moved to D4.

“Going for the pawn then? I can’t blame you. He's one of the few assets I have. Isolating me and putting me down is a good idea.”

The turns moved back and forth for a while. Carefully, the man placed white pieces and removed black ones to delay the enemy assault. When he was satisfied with the situation, he looked at the offending black knight and grabbed him, taking him off the board and setting him aside.


June 27th, 2024:
CBS Breaking: Chinese Special Forces unit declared missing during a blackout in Bejing.


“This game isn’t going very well for you, is it? What’s your next move?”

The question remained unanswered for a while. Pieces were taken off the board, put onto it again, and sometimes even new pieces joined the board. Eventually, the other player was having quite enough.

July 11th, 2024:
ABC News: China declares martial law during the current crisis in an attempt to maintain order.


“That’s the same move he made last game… you two have a lot in common. That... and you seem to be getting rather tired of the situation. Very well then. Knight to G3”.

The turns passed back and forth for about 3 turns.

July 18th, 2024:
New York Times: Tensions rise in Chinese government as Secret Police investigate Politburo members


“...Oh dear. It appears you forgot about my queen in H8," without missing a beat, the man placed a queen on H8 and slid it to F8. It would be quite an infuriating moment for the people playing against him.

With the queen out of the way, there’s nobody stopping me from going Rook A1 to F8. That puts you in a tough spot. You'll be out of options in a few turns. You can’t take the Rook because my queen is protecting it, and you can’t move to D7 because that's where your queen is.”

The man confidently placed the rook on F8, knocking over the Bishop.

July 27th, 2024:
NBC BREAKING NEWS: China fractures amongst power struggle in the Politburo, Chairman Xi Jinping assassinated.


“...Sic Semper Tyrannis.”

The man got up from the table and finally took the Black King, leaving the board to its fate.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1: I have prepared a players guide. You don't really need to look at the rest of the information, as that's all behind the scenes calculations.

2: Pre-In's are closed. Thanks for everyone that took the survey and gave me their message.

3: You can still take the survey if you want, but you won't be guaranteed to have a spot in your game.
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Re: Zero Escape: VLDR Hub

Postby PolyesterHomes » Tue Jun 02, 2020 8:53 pm

Pre-ins are open again.
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Re: Zero Escape: VLDR Hub

Postby Nellyfox » Fri Jun 05, 2020 10:00 am

My apologies that these are late! Here are the results of the multiple choice questions from the first and third sections. ASG is left out as I believe it's better fit for the potential podcast.

Spoiler: 15 responses

80% - 12 player games
    20% - 9 player games

73.3% - Moderate story (Supernova-12, Source Code)
    26.7% - Substantial story (Beginnings in Disguise, Altered Origins)
    0% - No story

53.3% - Yes I'd join an RPless game, but prefer RP games/depends on host
    26.7% - No, I wouldn't join an RPless game
    20% - Yes, I'd join an RPless game

93.3% - AB Game style
    53.3% - Exclusively Roaming phases
    33.3% - Digital Root style

53.3% - Prefer making characters to play
    40% - No preference
    6.7% - Given characters to play

33.3% - Roaming puzzles only
    26.7% - Required puzzle phases
    20% - No preference
    20% - No puzzles

46.7% - DM groups for puzzles
    26.7% - No DM groups for puzzles
    26.7% - DM groups for puzzles only if the game doesn't have much story

66.7% - Item rewards unique to puzzle rooms
    26.7% - Known puzzle item reward pool
    6.7% - Lootbox puzzle rewards
    6.7% - Same puzzle reward item pool
    26.7% - Miscellaneous responses

86.7% - 5+ rooms for Roaming 1
    13.3% - 3-4 rooms for Roaming 1

40% - AB Groups decided like VLR
    33.3% - Randomized AB Opponents
    26.7% - Chosen groups, but randomized AB Opponents

46.7% - Crazy roles
    26.7% - Basic/not extravagant roles
    26.7% - No preference

80% - STR
73.3% - DEX
53.3% - VIT
46.7% - CON
46.7% - WIL
46.7% - ACC
46.7% - SKL
33.3% - PER
33.3% - END
26.7% - CUN
26.7% - PRC
20% - INT


60% - Don't prefer meme characters
    40% - Meme characters are fine

66.7% - Romance is fine
    20% - Ban PDA
    13.3% - Ban romance

93.3% - Fantasy/Realism settings are fine
    6.7% - Realism settings only

60% - Rare Create Your Role games
    26.7% - More Create Your Role games
    13.3% - No Create Your Role games

100% - we love Metrion

86.7% - hydrated boys
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Re: Zero Escape: VLDR Hub

Postby PolyesterHomes » Sat Jun 06, 2020 4:44 pm

July 6th, 2030: Spoiler: A white man in a dark suit opens a door into a cubicle. The lights within are dim, casting a yellow glow on the room. They speak in a stern matter towards their subordinate.

“Agent, I need to speak with you."

A dedicated employee glances at their boss, slightly surprised at being interrupted in their work. They sit in an ordinary office chair, wearing a grey suit and red tie, turning their chair to face their superior with a piercing gaze.

“...Of course Sir. What do you need?”

“You’re being reassigned from the Scarlet Front Case to Yellowstone.”

Their mind races for half a second. Yellowstone was going to be one of the safe areas of the country. Being a national park with little in the way of goals to accomplish, why bother with an operation there?

“Yellowstone? What’s going on there?”

Their boss tosses a file folder that lands square on their desk. Without a word, the Agent picks up the file and starts reading it. The case went back all the way to over a decade ago when several people of note, all of whom were American citizens, disappeared in Italy. On the same day, there were 9 reported kidnappings around the country. A paper trail of sticky notes and documents seems to try and attach these incidents. Although scant in the way of information about the incident, the agency was aware that these individuals weren’t seen again.

Reading a bit further in, they learned about a survey leading a group of 12 individuals into a trap in which most of them would die. To make matters worse, the group organizing the event was spotted in several nations, before they fell into Anarchy. The files note a possible connection between the suspicious people behind this survey and the events in Italy.

“With all due respect sir, I can’t do this by myself. Infiltrating a terrorist cell is a job for a team, not a single person,” The employee responded, expecting details about his team members.

The boss stared at them with an obscured scorn.

“We’re strained as is. We can’t afford to spread ourselves thin, you’re the best we have for the mission. There’s a reason you got assigned the callsign you did. The director has faith in you. Besides, you are getting a ground crew.”

The agent stared back at the papers, realizing that he’d be sent on his own. Backup would be unlikely at best, he would well and truly be alone out there. Not one to be deterred by orders, they responded with a confident tone “...Then what’s the plan?”

“In the file is a survey. We need you to answer it and bring it back to me. Today. We’ll use our influence to ensure you get selected for the program.”

The Agent had only seen the documents for a few brief moments, but they had remembered the file regarding the use of a survey in countries prior to collapse, and their connection to the organization.

“...They’re using the same gathering method, huh? Alright. I’ll get to work, sir.”

“We have a lot riding on your success. We’re counting on you.”

The boss walked off, quietly praying that this last-ditch effort pulled through. They had a brief few days before the country lost control of most of its territory.




----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sorry about this being late. I'm currently in the process of dealing with Cable Company shenanigans.

1: Signups will be going up at Noon PST.
2: I am closing Pre-Ins as of this post. The survey will remain available to the rest of you but will have no effect on the game.
3: Thread will be going up soon-ish.
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Re: Zero Escape: VLDR Hub

Postby Nellyfox » Mon Jun 15, 2020 9:55 am

I have updated my informative post in this thread to include some of the essays about VLDR I have written that I am comfortable sharing publicly. Included is a link to my most recently completed work: a 60 page commentary on how to write well-written elements in VLDR, for hosts and players. If you are interested, I would give it a read.
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Re: Zero Escape: VLDR Hub

Postby Nellyfox » Wed Jun 17, 2020 7:08 pm

Hey VLDR Community!

As was referenced in the last community poll, we are looking to potentially move off of the ToS boards and onto our own separate board. The majority of voters for the poll voted that we should move sooner rather than later, so we've been discussing the specific logistics in the Discord server. I think it would be a good idea to get the general idea of what we all like, as we don't want to move anywhere that the community doesn't care for. So, I have created a poll to tally which forum software the majority of players enjoy!

Here is a bunch of information that I feel is important to add, for those who haven't been keeping up with the moving discussion:
Spoiler: Why isn't there a "no preference" option?
I exclude "no preference" because, in an instance such as this, "no preference" would not help the decision any. If you truly don't have a preference, you don't have to vote. Even if you like one software over the other very marginally, vote for that one. I don't think any of us want to move again after this, so we're looking into something permanent if possible.

What is this about payment?
Not every single forum software is free. phpBB, for example, while a free software, requires server hosting to be run, which means we would have to pay for a server. As a player, you will not be required to pay for anything.

What about donations?
Donations will be optional and greatly appreciated. As I will most likely be shouldering the cost of the majority of this, pre-ins for my games (if I have them) will be purchasable and all money made will go directly to paying the server costs. I will also look into more perks for those who donate, such as a custom color on the new forum and maybe a Discord role as well.

What features are available for each route?
Both forum softwares are pretty flexible, so no matter which route we take, we will get the following:
  • Unlimited PM storage and folders.
  • Custom site themes/skins.
  • Avatars and signatures.
  • Custom webpages.
  • The ability to post (obviously).
  • BBCode.
  • BCC for messages.
  • Shoutbox customization (which we don't need because of Discord, but hey. It's an option).
The following features are specific to phpBB:
  • I believe it was discussed that we can run a script or export threads from these forums to our new phpBB. Do not quote me on that, however — I am unsure of the totality, however, if true, I would assume this is phpBB specific.
  • Any perks from donating.
  • Custom BBCode.
The following features are specific to CreateaForum:
  • Everything is free.
  • Arcade customization.
What about SimplePortal?
People didn't like it. Rip to SP.

What if the votes are pretty evenly split?
Personally, I think we need at least 75% of voters to agree on one software before we move. Something such as 12 to 11 votes would not be fair. If we are seriously split, then Metrion can make the decision.

Poll link?
Here is the link to the poll. You will need to sign-in in order to vote. You can go back and edit your vote if you do change your mind.

If I missed anything here, please feel free to ping me in Discord.
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Re: Zero Escape: VLDR Hub

Postby Segaco » Thu Jun 18, 2020 7:08 pm

i love nelly
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Re: Zero Escape: VLDR Hub

Postby Nellyfox » Thu Jun 18, 2020 10:10 pm

Segaco wrote:i love nelly

<3
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Re: Zero Escape: VLDR Hub

Postby LordofFail » Fri Jun 19, 2020 4:58 pm

I feel it's worth mentioning regarding moving forums that it is highly unlikely that we would be able to move the existing VLDR posts & topics over to a new forum.

Every thread on the subject I've seen involves access to the original forum database and then doing some conversion or something to import it to a new forum, and I doubt that TP or the other tos admins would just give us a chunk of the forum database, especially since the VLDR posts might be mixed in with the rest of the forum posts anyway. I have no idea how phpbb structures their post database but if it is at all competent one should be able to extract only the VLDR posts using a good SQL query.

TL;DR don't hold your breath on being able to import the existing VLDR threads onto a new forum (though if we could get the VLDR part of the database I can guarantee that it is possible to import it to a createaforum forum for a one time fee but I could foot the bill for it, though it would be a discussion for another time, and it may be possible for a free import with phpbb through some means; it should technically be possible but from my searching on the subject its a bit janky and is not an easy thing to do).
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Re: Zero Escape: VLDR Hub

Postby Arcthurus » Fri Jun 19, 2020 9:09 pm

tfw tldr is 50% of the post


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Re: Zero Escape: VLDR Hub

Postby Nellyfox » Sat Jun 20, 2020 8:46 am

One more mention: Display Names appear to be a CAF only feature. It is possible to replicate display names on phpBB by adding a custom field to your profiles (such as the "Location" field that some people utilize), but your actual name will always be your username. Just in case this sways anyone!

Also, for what LoF mentioned: moving VLDR would cost 200-400$, from what he's told me.

I'm probably going to close the poll tomorrow, so if you aren't a "no preference" person, get your votes in!
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Re: Zero Escape: VLDR Hub

Postby Hawkwing425 » Sat Jun 20, 2020 9:10 am

Is that monetary cost a 1 time thing or permanent?
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Re: Zero Escape: VLDR Hub

Postby Nellyfox » Sat Jun 20, 2020 9:53 am

Hawkwing425 wrote:Is that monetary cost a 1 time thing or permanent?

It's one time.
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Re: Zero Escape: VLDR Hub

Postby Schultz128 » Sat Jun 20, 2020 2:23 pm

really not worth it honestly, considering threads can still be archived manually.
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Re: Zero Escape: VLDR Hub

Postby ChubbyMooshroom9 » Sat Jun 20, 2020 2:43 pm

my man's right
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Re: Zero Escape: VLDR Hub

Postby LordofFail » Sat Jun 20, 2020 9:53 pm

I agree that it's probably not worth it, and highly unlikely to happen since we would need to get TP's blessing (and by blessing, I mean a chunk of the database)
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Re: Zero Escape: VLDR Hub

Postby Nellyfox » Sun Jun 21, 2020 11:50 am

As a follow-up to my post yesterday: I have closed the poll, and have the results!
Image
Not only did phpBB claim a majority of the votes, but it also snagged over the 75% I would have liked for it to. With that said, I believe it is time to start getting ready for the move!

What does this mean for us?
As players, I am asking for you guys to sit tight as this process happens. I have no idea how long it will take to get the site acquired, polished, and up and running. It may take a few days or a few weeks.

What happened to myBB?
I briefly mentioned myBB in the server, though as messages get buried, I'll repeat my experience here. myBB, while it does look nice and probably does function better than phpBB, does have a few aspects that are undesirable. I believe there is no way to see PM chains, only individual PMs, which is a downside. I also personally found it annoying that you get taken to a separate page on a successful action for a split second before returning to where you should go (e.g., send a PM, get success message, get taken to inbox; there's no need for the middleman success message).

What will the process look like?
I am going to begin this process by discussing with LoF our next step forward. We'll set up the server, phpBB, and the forums, including boards, necessary user permissions and groups, and site themes. After this is done, I will be working with moonbird to see if it is possible to make a scraping bot to transfer all of the VLDR games over to the new site. The outcome of this idea is inconsequential, but something I would like to do before everyone is online.

Following this, I will be giving some users early access to make sure everything is working properly from a user perspective. If you are interested in being one of these beta testers, please shoot me a DM on Discord. Interest will not equal guarantee; if there's so many people interested I may just use RNG to see who our lucky testers are, to prevent any bias on my end.

Have a suggestion for a board or site theme?
Send those my way as well! If it makes sense, I'm happy to work to implement what you'd like to see.

If you have any questions or concerns you'd like to address, please let me know!
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Re: Zero Escape: VLDR Hub

Postby IAmAMunchlax » Sun Jun 21, 2020 6:12 pm

I have no reason for this account anymore, I can get banned from these forums now. I was gore poster gg.
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Re: Zero Escape: VLDR Hub

Postby Hawkwing425 » Sun Jun 21, 2020 6:44 pm

Then I'll be only here for Danganronpa, if I stay for that at all. Otherwise, there's just one thing I need to address before I yeet myself into the Thread of Sad Leavings and Glorious Returns and ditch this account. I will not miss my post history. It's been cursed. Middle school was a mistake.

Man, I can't believe I'm actually leaving.
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Re: Zero Escape: VLDR Hub

Postby ChubbyMooshroom9 » Sun Jun 21, 2020 7:16 pm

im probably gonna stick around because of tradition+the occassional fm game

not much else though
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