![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Downtime Log - 04
Log 04 - Downtime
Outcome to The Mine Car
And so, Minecraftia is saved! Overall, characters opted to focus on closing the mines. Passengers will receive a summary of their results on their phone (though there's still no sender), and will see it play out around them.
- With the deep mines closed off, the fungus responsible for the plague will no longer escape to the surface. Thanks to your thorough efforts, the dynamite has exposed new silver ore and treasure that the townsfolk can live off of, and the ancient mole civilization has also been laid to rest. They pass along this message:
- Totally radalicious for ya to do us a solid like that bros. You wouldn't believe how bad those acid spores were harshin' my buzz. See ya on the flip side. Cowabunga, dudes!
- Mayor Chadsef has been slain. The people of Minecraftia are grateful that his devious plots have been revealed, but are unsettled by some of your behavior. They are left without much leadership.
- Continue to fulfill objectives. Do not dwell on completed cars.
Though passengers can stay in Minecraftia for a while, the exit door is now open! Because presumably some of them killed and ate Chadsef, the denizens will eventually chase them out for being weirdos.
Numbers: All numbers will change as a result of this log. Overall, those who focused on the mines will see their numbers go down, and vice versa. However, this is character-driven: a character that went to the mines solely to loot for treasure may still see their number go up, and likewise, those that attacked Chadsef may still see their numbers go down if it coincides with character growth.
Illness: Those who fell ill will have lingering effects, but the plague will clear without exposure to the spores. Symptoms can fade as quickly or slowly as players wish.
Then, as characters exit Minecraftia, they will receive another new message.
FROM: clownductor one
Well, that was unexpected.
Regular train cars will now resume. Please note that to end your journey aboard the Existential Express, the numbers located on your body must go down to zero. Indulging in your bad habits will cause your number to increase indefinitely and infinitely. Do not think of it as a prison sentence, but...
...A journey along the railroad of self improvement.
And from here on out, we're back to our regularly scheduled downtime log! Good work, everyone!
The Dinosaur Car
As characters enter the car, their phones will notify them of a new objective…
That's not really an actionable objective, but you probably don't have much time to worry about it because in this car… there are dinosaurs! They seem to be engulfed in a vicious turf war between bickering herbivores and carnivores, and in the middle of the fighting is a flock of baby dinosaurs separated from their parents. :( Their size easily dwarfs the passengers, but compared to the adults, they're small and helpless and could use someone to take them back to their dens.
Unfortunately, not all the babies are cooperative. Some have no sense of danger, and others have too much sense of danger. While others won't stop crying, and some have decided that you're their new mother! Navigating them through the bickering adults won't be an easy task.
All carnivores except velociraptors have poor senses, so they'll only see you if you move. The herbivores will largely leave you alone... because they won't notice your presence at all, and will stomp on you with no reservations. Both sides will react poorly to violence against their own, so be prepared to run or fight if you're the hack-and-slash type. That said, these oversized reptiles are no pea-brains, and may actually be open to diplomacy…
The Crystal Car
As the characters enter the car, their phones will notify them of a new objective…
The inside of this car is peaceful and #aesthetic — everything is made of varying types of crystal, geodes, etc, and the pink sunlight glitters across every surface. What does this have to do with the objective? Nothing! Not everything in life has a meaning, you know?
However, there is one particularly shiny crystal not far from the door here, with a few fairly obvious hand-shaped indents. When touched, the crystal will shimmer and shine to an emotional song. But not just any song — it has to have sentimental value to the singer. That's right, you can't just pick the classiest tune of your Sp*tify to pretend you have good taste to your friends. This is about a mother's lullaby, or the horrible mix tape your first boyfriend made you, or the randumb song you made up with your friends as a kid. Once the crystal is satisfied with your performance, the exit door will open.
The Otome Car
As the characters enter the car, their phones will notify them of a new objective…
The assorted NPCs of this neo-noir world are occupied with solving grisly murders. Passengers will find themselves in roles such as jaded private investigator, lackadaisical forensics tech, vigilante hacker, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed dame, etc... but more importantly, above every character's head is what looks like a progress bar.
When someone encounters another passenger, the bar will fill up according to how much they trust and/or like them. (Yes, this will out anyone who's been sneaky or dishonest about their feelings.) In order to fill this 'trust gauge' to max, characters must pick the right dialogue options with each other (i.e. not piss each other off, flatter one another, etc. You may also interpret this as literal otome dialogue prompts, if you like), or otherwise convince all the NPCs that they care for each other. Maybe it's by holding hands, or fake dating, or pretending Wheatley is your beloved son orb (sorb).
Once both bars are completely full, characters will abruptly discover the murderer was the cop all along. They'll receive a bag of Sn*ckers for their detective work. Good end! If characters do poorly at this get-along task, they may get various Bad Ends, which will usually result in them nearly dying (or actually dying) before starting over from a previous checkpoint. Successive bad ends will turn more and more ridiculous over time.
The GBBO Car
As the characters enter the car, their phones will notify them of a new objective…
Upon entering the car, passengers will find themselves in a large tent. The tent contains rows of baking stations, equipped with ovens and a variety of kitchen equipment. Along the sides of the tents are fridges and freezers, and at the back of the tent is a pantry which will manifest any ingredient a passenger can think of. As passengers bake however, they'll find that they need to work together as access to the gadgets and ingredients is split between individuals. Whether it's the oven refusing to start, or eggs consistently slipping from their grasp, passengers will need to rely on a partner regardless of skill level. Characters that try to work on their own will consistently end up with a terrible tray of brownies, no matter what they're trying to bake.
Passengers will have 3 hours to create the dish listed on their station before being subjected to the scrutiny of celebrity judges: Haul Pollywood and Bary Merry. Ready... set... bake!
The Hand Holding Car
As the characters enter the car, their phones will notify them of a new objective…
Upon entering this car, passengers will find themselves in total darkness. There is nothing around them except, visible by the light of their phones, a single torch. They'll find that they can't light it using magic or matches, and that it only blazes bright when they hold the hand of another passenger. As soon as that contact is lost, the torch will go out.
There is no path or indicators as they trek forward—nothing but the black nothingness, their fellow passenger and the torch. But eventually, whispers. A cold sensation crawling up their spine, and the sudden, unshakeable fear of the person whose hand they're holding. A voice will warn them of the evil hidden in their partner's heart, the weapons they carry, and describe to them in vivid detail all the ways they could end their life, or worse. There's nothing more terrifying to you than this person, but if you let go, then there's only darkness.
One final catch: this connection goes beyond fear. Characters will find themselves able to read each other's thoughts while holding hands.
The Vacation Car
As the characters enter the car, their phones will notify them of a new objective…
The vast interior of this car is filled with a white, sandy beach. Clear water stretches as far as the eye can see, and the shoreline is dotted with everything you'd find at a popular boardwalk: food stands, cool drinks, tacky swimsuit huts, a brightly lit ferris wheel. Vendors don't accept money, but will gladly share their goods in exchange for good deeds. The beach is open to all, and sports all manner of coral and sea creatures.
(This may include flying sharks and giant octopi.)
And to top it all off, there's an enormous seaside spa! There are various different rooms, providing all kinds of treats to relax: bathing pools both hot and cool, luxurious showers, wet and dry saunas, lounging areas with refreshing drinks and snacks, and even several outdoor hot springs! Above them is always a clear night sky, with auroras dancing against the darkness if you get lucky. How does this all work in the same climate? Don't worry about it.
The spa is largely autonomous: bathing products automatically replenish themselves, food and drink appears and cleans itself up on its own, and there are somehow always warm towels and fluffy robes. This also means that no one is actually running some of the stations — namely the manipedi and massage rooms — so you may have to lend a helping hand or two.
OOC Notes
Car Order: While the cars are linear and in the order shown, characters can freely move between these six cars for the next three weeks — players may assume 1:1 IC:OOC time ratio.
Locks: Passengers may follow other characters out of cars after they've been unlocked — so in general, players can assume optional cars on downtime months are unlocked if they don't want to play in them. Likewise, if your character ICly would not participate in a car but you still want to play with those prompts, you can assume they're locked in and must complete objectives. Feel free to pick and choose what you'd like to play from any downtime log!
Update: We will also have a small update in the coming weeks — the setting won't change, but there will be a few more (optional!) aspects to play with later.
Feel free to direct questions to our Discord help channel. Have fun!
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
locomo e2 traincationFAQ & Game Info / Calendar / Taken
Applications / Reserves / Hiatus & Drops
FULL NAVIGATION
no subject
At least Rex is carrying both their weights on figuring things out. Jinwoo's content being there to try and put two and two together from these findings alone. ]
So we're looking for someone who knows what they're doing. Maybe they've done it before, and if that's the case, we should have a record of a similar unsolved case somewhere.
[ He taps his chin, mind working overtime to keep up. ]
Or it's someone who knows how to clean up and stage a crime scene.
[ At least they've started to narrow it down. Teamwork! So much teamwork that the progress bar above Jinwoo's head is filling out some more. ]
no subject
[Rex's brows lift while he considers their options. It's unlikely that any of the other passengers would be a murderer. If their numbers are correlated to vices or bad habits, murder would be antithetical to that, in this particular train car.]
I wonder if ol' Dead as a Doorknob over here took "Fuck the police!" to a whole 'nother level. Well! Guess it's somethin' to consider.
[Jinwoo hasn't been too hard to work with. He's quiet and reasonable, even if annoyingly tall...
no how rex is bothered by the mere 1 inch can u see how easily his manhood was threatenedHis own progress meter goes up as well.]You don't seem too bothered by the, uh, corpse party goin' on. Don't tell me you're into voodoo or black magic...
[There's a chance this big buff dude took a chance on some hot goth who was really into astrology and maybe also a practitioner of witchcraft... Hey, Invincible has had weirder plotlines. This is totally a feasible path of logic to go down.]
That tarot hippie bullshit is whack.
no subject
I'm just a concerned rookie detective.
[ As is his role.
Truth be told, he's never really been good at taking these kinds of matters slow. Jinwoo is more than happy to play the part of judge, jury, and executioner to any persons he deems a problem. If it were up to him, he'd be shaking every suspect in the vicinity and demanding a confession.
So this is new. A frustrating type of new, but not one that was unpleasant. ]
And I guess I've just seen my fair share of dead bodies, is all.
no subject
[JESUS CHRIST????]
That is kind of a messed up thing to say, though. Or it would be if... I was a normal person.
[Rex Sloan is anything but.
Perhaps this mystery is fake. Just a puzzle with great gameplay and computer generated graphics, but this is the first time he's actually felt useful in seven weeks save for the whole exploding the mine fiasco. He is a super hero, which means that no matter how foul-mouthed and abhorrent he may be, his entire existence is dedicated to doing good. Keeping people who don't have the power to do so safe.
And without it, he is nothing. Not likable or easily appreciated. Incapable of making more than a single friend, who happens to be from back home, so... In many ways, it almost seems like it doesn't count.
Rex folds his arms as he examines the dark-haired fellow. Is there anything else this guy's team needs?]
Which, by the looks of it, you are also definitely not. Are you... Like, some kinda hotshot medical student? Wait! Shit, no.
Then you'd be better at this than me! Or, well, you would've at least known the thing about the blood pooling.
no subject
no subject
But right, Jinwoo is most definitely not a medical student. He didn't even finish college. He's just some dude who's really good at killing... ]
I'm a hunter when I'm not in this car. I kill monsters.
[ And sometimes people, but! That's not something he wants to get into. It makes for uncomfortable conversations, and he's already maneuvering his way out of those, thanks, Rex. ]
You're right that I don't know anything about blood pooling. It's a good thing you knew about it.
no subject
[Not him being Amazed at this information smh???]
You ever get into a fight with an animal rights activist? Those fuckers tend to be super passionate.
Huh. Maybe I should try hooking up with one later. Y'know! To test that theory.
[In Jinwoo's defense, Rex is an expert when it comes to the murder game as well, a murder prodigy, if you will.
Those days are behind him now, locked away and left firmly in the past.]
...Well, thanks for being chill about this whole investigation mumbo-jumbo. Maybe if we play our cards right, we'll be home sockin' monsters in the jaw before we know it.
no subject
Jinwoo shakes his head at the question. He doesn't think there's anyone fighting for monster rights where he's from... If there are, they'd have to be pretty stupid considering how murderous the monsters are.
With things drawing to a close now, Jinwoo gathers his things (which is mostly his notebook). ]
I'm hoping so.
[ He sure does miss killing... ]
Thanks for your help, Rex.
[ Even if you were one of the weirdest first meetings Jinwoo has ever had. ]
CW: GORE, implied child abuse
Often times both.]
Sure.
[Rex can't say he enjoys killing. Under the right circumstances, it does feel fucking awesome. Like nuking a bunch of zombies in a first person shooter and coming home victorious, except that game is real life, and the dead will not come back to life once the game restarts. He doesn't like to do so much as think about it anymore. How as a child, he had been so eager to please, killing all those men in suits. Innocent people with children and loved ones and real lives, their bodies desecrated. Going out via explosion means that if any part of the corpse was left, it'd have to be a closed casket funeral for sure. That had been then, however. When he had been lied to and manipulated.
Today, if Rex had a gun to his head and was being forced to end the life of yet another blameless soul, he'd just take the bullet.]
Do I let you know what I find? Is that how this works?
no subject
And while he can't get as invested in this case as Rex because of its lack of... action, he can at least work as a sounding board. ]
I guess so.
[ He's still not entirely sure, but the progress bar filling up over his head is a good indicator that they're on the right track. ]
You know how to reach me.