SOTF: Cyber — Hotfix & Patch Notes

[Cyber_HELPline]

SOTF: Cyber Handlers,

Having recently assessed the current state and status of SOTF: Cyber, including that of the current ongoing threads and the state of several of the version's deaths thus far (especially in the First Announcement and its accompanying rollset), we—SOTF: Cyber's staff team—have decided to change several aspects of our operation. The goal behind these changes is to mitigate and solve several problems before they have the chance to become more significant issues further down the line. Consider this our equivalent to a hotfix in a video game; just as they might release with bugs to iron out, so too does our version, given its status as a first-time Alternative Universe (AU) version. Likewise, we're patching them out.

First, we've noticed that the version's outstanding deaths are not typically arriving on time per the rules outlined in the First Announcement. Though our intention, from the start, has been to be generous with our deadlines and enforcement, both of activity and deaths, our approach has been vague and atypical thus far, something we want to rectify. As we advance and go forward, we will include real-time timers within future rollsets (in line with other versions). This change will allow handlers to track their deadlines and responsibilities better and allow us, as the version's staff, to take a more proactive stance on helping individual handlers meet their goals by giving reminders or (if strictly necessary) assisting with deaths.

With that in mind, please remember to request an extension or extensions if necessary by posting such a request in the accompanying thread for the announcements and rollsets. It is the simultaneous responsibility of all of you as handlers and each of us as members of the version's staff to maintain proper lines of contact in this regard and to be open, honest, and transparent with our goals. We plan to be generous with extensions, so don't agonize or stress over it. If you think you need an extension, you probably do, and even if you end up not needing it, it's better to ask and finish early than to not and run past deadlines. Remember, when it comes to your character's death deadline, poor communication kills—literally!

Second, we've noticed an ongoing trend within the version that concerns us. Throughout the version, a majority of threads (both current and past) have fallen behind the pace of the game itself. For example, much of the game continues on the version's Day 1 (D1) when the current time is Night 1 (N1). This fact creates a more significant potential for continuity snarls, mainly when characters' deaths occur at incorrect times or on incorrect days, which creates retroactive errors in the announcements. For example, a hypothetical character—A10: Peyton Smith—could be rolled in the Second Announcements out-of-character (OOC) but die in-character (IC) before the First Announcements occur. That causes issues for us.

As a means to rectify this, we will take two ongoing approaches. First, we will push back the date of the Second Announcement to March 1st, 2024 (03/01/2024), to give handlers additional time to catch up to Night 1 (N1) in preparation for the version's transition into Day 2 (D2). Second, we will make a change to the SOTF: Cyber rules. From this point forward, we explicitly request that all character deaths, rolled or unrolled, occur during the latest time cycle (as established in the most recent announcement). Any character deaths that contradict this ruling will nonetheless be considered, in character (IC), to occur within the latest time cycle and will be noted as such in the Announcements unless already announced.

Now, with all that in mind, we intend for this general amnesty to be a one-time event and hope that this message will get everyone on the same page and on the same track. We know that these can be tricky issues to navigate, and we will henceforth use the SOTF Mini Advanced Rules on Rolls and Deaths as our guidelines moving forward, including making requests, if need be, for death summaries, so that announcements can continue in lieu of uncompleted deaths. If you have any further questions, comments, or concerns about the subject of this post or about getting your deaths into the proper in-character time cycle, please reach out to a member of SOTF: Cyber's version staff, and we'll do our best to help.

Best regards,

The SOTF: Cyber Staff Team

TL;DR:

Given recent developments, we've decided to implement a rule change wherein all rolled or unrolled deaths (unless already announced in a previous announcement) must occur on the most recent time cycle. In addition, we will be more closely following Mini's Rolls and Deaths rules as our guidelines (though we continue maintaining our roll schedule). Furthermore, the Second Announcement will be on 03/01/2024.

[+] NEW RULE

Death Timing Policy

Rule introduced in the SOTF: Cyber — Hotfix & Patch Notes (02/21/2024).

We, as the SOTF: Cyber version staff team, explicitly request that all character deaths, whether rolled or unrolled, occur during the version's latest time cycle (as established in the most recent announcement).

Any character deaths that contradict this ruling will nonetheless be considered, in character (IC), to occur within the latest time cycle and will be noted as such in the Announcements unless already announced.

[Lilith]

me when im hot and fixed