Thinking it over - and being slightly better-rested than I was when this started chewing at the back of my head, I think the important thing is to convey, OOCly, that the process is opt-in instead of opt-out. I know some people who like exploring the thoughts! But having it feel like it's the default as opposed to a potential leads to a feeling like dropping our characters uncontrollably signs them over to mod fiat, which can be pretty unsettling.
In fact, thinking about all of it over the past few days, and speaking with Riki about it last night, I think I've pinpointed what I feel is the exact shakiness of the tonal issues:
I know you guys can do MLP's tone. You've done it before, and as Riki pointed out to me, the Griffaltar/gem thief plot is a perfect example of you guys getting the tone and nailing it.
But the underlying modplot, the tone of the game with Cálice, the repeated focus (both by mods and by players) of memory manipulation, and the lurking, omnipresent sense of dread?
I think generally, the plot has missed the mark of "My Little Pony" and landed a little further than that, likely aiming for the sweetspot of G1's tone but landing past it into the territory of "Digimon". Ironically, this has made it easier for some people to settle in, maybe! Namely, the folks from Terminal Tokyo would feel right at home with that sort of tone, and it might be why a decent number of our new cast that have stuck the firmest were from that game. But the difference can still feel a bit awkward, sort of like being promised a hamburger and getting a chicken sandwich instead.
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In fact, thinking about all of it over the past few days, and speaking with Riki about it last night, I think I've pinpointed what I feel is the exact shakiness of the tonal issues:
I know you guys can do MLP's tone. You've done it before, and as Riki pointed out to me, the Griffaltar/gem thief plot is a perfect example of you guys getting the tone and nailing it.
But the underlying modplot, the tone of the game with Cálice, the repeated focus (both by mods and by players) of memory manipulation, and the lurking, omnipresent sense of dread?
I think generally, the plot has missed the mark of "My Little Pony" and landed a little further than that, likely aiming for the sweetspot of G1's tone but landing past it into the territory of "Digimon". Ironically, this has made it easier for some people to settle in, maybe! Namely, the folks from Terminal Tokyo would feel right at home with that sort of tone, and it might be why a decent number of our new cast that have stuck the firmest were from that game. But the difference can still feel a bit awkward, sort of like being promised a hamburger and getting a chicken sandwich instead.