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locomo mod acct ([personal profile] locomodo) wrote in [community profile] locomo2021-10-15 07:31 pm

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…

> [ this video starts to play. ]



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…

> Sing, baby, sing ♫



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…

> Unlock a good end.



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…

> Impress the judges with a delicious creation.



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…

> Bring the light to the cauldron.



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…

> Slow down and get some R&R. You deserve it! Some of you, anyway!



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!





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travelsized: (deep in thought § ping did steal my gf)

[personal profile] travelsized 2021-11-06 01:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Like the food? [ Interesting choice in name but ok. ] Your parents must've really liked cereal.

[ Not that robots have parents but it's not like he knows that. He isn't here to judge names or wishes or any of that stuff though anyway (at least not a lot) and quickly moves on, setting aside papers and wands and everything else clutched in his little hands so he can hop onto one of Wheatley's limbs for a better vantage point to view the number glowing softly at them. ]

But you want your number to go down, huh? Whatchu want your new number to be?

[ Can he.....actually do this? Stay tuned. ]
testgasm: portalcaps @ tumblr (unless)

[personal profile] testgasm 2021-11-06 05:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Don't be ridiculous. I don't have parents.

[He's a robot, with no parents, who probably named himself, thanks very much. Wheatley seems a little taken aback by Mushu's sudden disregard for personal space, and holds very still so that he can get a good look at the number.]

Well, I probably shouldn't wish for it to--to go down too much, because possibly this is cheating. Let's say a reduction of...fifty? Or so? Seems reasonable.
travelsized: (pic#1608848)

[personal profile] travelsized 2021-11-08 06:51 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Bro, fifty?? That's like a third of his own number, which is printed across the latter half of his tail. But, sure, alright, seems doable. He squints at Wheatley's number, tilts his head this way and that, and then finally hops off and back onto the booth, whereupon he disappears underneath the counter. ]

That don't seem too bad. Alright, fifty it is.

[ However, just because he is out of sight doesn't mean he's out of mind, his voice still prattling on as he apparently...searches for something? A pad of Post-It notes goes flying, followed by a decorative pen. ]

How'd you get your number so high anyhow? You ask for it when you get on the train?
testgasm: portalcaps @ tumblr (the humans are dead)

[personal profile] testgasm 2021-11-08 11:23 pm (UTC)(link)
title or description

testgasm: portalcaps @ tumblr (we used poisonous gases)

[personal profile] testgasm 2021-11-08 11:23 pm (UTC)(link)
[Fifty seems like a nice, round number--not enough to attract the attention of the powers-that-be if they do, in fact, consider this cheating. By now, he's more than used to people balking at eight hundred, so he gives a little wave, trying to make it sound like it isn't a big deal.]

Well, no, I don’t think—we didn’t pick the numbers. Actually, I didn’t know what mine was, for a long time. Needed someone to tell me, if I wanted to know.

[The more he talks about being limbless and immobile, the more thankful he is for these limbs. Wheatley leans over the table, trying to see what Mushu is looking for.]

Are you—what are you doing, down there?
travelsized: (pic#1608845)

i'm very sorry for this, whit

[personal profile] travelsized 2021-11-09 01:41 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Through the air goes a deck of playing cards and then one of those trashy romance novels, with half-naked men and swooning damsels on the cover. The sound of containers rustling and Mushu muttering to himself continue. ]

Yeah? You must'a done something to annoy those guys in charge then. I hear we gotta make the numbers go down by doing good stuff only. Feels like they ain't counting right though, my number oughta be zero then...

[ Finally he pops back out, a fat permanent marker clutched in one tiny hand and a small vanity mirror held in the other. No guesses as to what he's planning to do with that marker. Since Wheatley has so generously leaned in close to the booth, Mushu streeeeetches out, uncaps his marker, and starts scribbling over Wheatley's face plate, the marker tip making that awful squeaking sound whenever he presses down too hard.

It's all over and done with in a flash and then he's holding up the mirror instead for Wheatley to take a look. ]


There. How 'bout that, huh?

[ There it is, Wheatley's number, except half of it is overwritten by barely legible black marker. Actually, he shaved off something closer to sixty points because arithmetic is hard but who's counting? Certainly not the clownductors, who probably think this is a very funny joke. Meanwhile, it's Mushu's turn to look extremely proud of himself. ]
Edited (adds a smidge more description) 2021-11-09 13:42 (UTC)
testgasm: (pic#15100910)

[personal profile] testgasm 2021-11-10 04:05 pm (UTC)(link)
[Wheatley makes an attempt to dodge the flying objects, but his reaction time is not necessarily that of someone who is accustomed to arms and legs. He manages to avoid the cards, but gets beaned in the face by the romance novel with an ow!.

When he realizes that the wish has commenced, he tries to stay very still, but the sound of what's happening is very confusing to him, and is that a sharpie? The mirror more-or-less confirms it, and Wheatley isn't sure how offended he should be. Maybe this really is the best Mushu can do? Explains the waiver, at least. Wheatley is squinting.
]

Okay, uh, what you've done there is you've just--written over my real number with marker pen. Which, I suppose is something of a creative solution to this problem, but not--does not actually have any material effect, here. I would imagine. Now I'm going to have to find something to get this off, so, thanks for that. I don't suppose you have any paint thinner? Acetone?

[He's very ungrateful.]