Konoha Tavern - RP General Chat Discussion

[Gutsy]

Bios have been checked, will engage NW and training this weekend - same with the customs.

Please let me know where there are issues.

Thanks for the input, Gutsy. None of the feedback has fallen on deaf ears - I got some permissions from Zise on thread moving, editing, etc - but I do need to have a chat with LoK about the way forward.

Not sure if you're keen, but if you are, please standby as we try and revive the game we've invested a lot of time into.

Hey L, appreciate you stepping in and writing. Im not against the revival, my issue was about the direction, and how feedback was handled (insults, deflection and blame shifting). Instead of addressing the issue i got insults thrown at me. I said that people werent interested in a rehash of old stories or anything of the sort but wanted something fresh, new, something entirely different. The result speaks for itself at the moment, as the place died again.

 

[Detective L]

Hey L, appreciate you stepping in and writing. Im not against the revival, my issue was about the direction, and how feedback was handled (insults, deflection and blame shifting). Instead of addressing the issue i got insults thrown at me. I said that people werent interested in a rehash of old stories or anything of the sort but wanted something fresh, new, something entirely different. The result speaks for itself at the moment, as the place died again.

Please provide me with the feedback and we'll work on it - comments were made and arguments happened. All of that has happened, but realistically, we're all here to play the ninja game.

So I've set my emotions on display, and decided to do the best I can? We don't need to "like" each other - but we can still make it work (in general I mean, I hold no beef lol).

You can send me a PM/list them here/Discord - whatever works for you (feedback, suggestions, etc).

 

[Gutsy]

Bios have been checked, will engage NW and training this weekend - same with the customs.

Please let me know where there are issues.

Thanks for the input, Gutsy. None of the feedback has fallen on deaf ears - I got some permissions from Zise on thread moving, editing, etc - but I do need to have a chat with LoK about the way forward.

Not sure if you're keen, but if you are, please standby as we try and revive the game we've invested a lot of time into.

Just a bit more context L.

My issue was not really the idea itself, but how it plays out with the current player base. With lower activity, a faction based flashback spreads people out and makes engagement feel indirect, especially when it is tied to past events. Even if there is technically agency through factions, it does not feel immediate or impactful in the moment. People want engagement > lore and story.

From what I have seen (i think), most people want something more direct where they feel like they are shaping what is happening now, not contributing to something that already exists to set up the future. Which is why people just drop out and wait for something else.

What I thought of instead was something more centralized and forward facing. For example dropping people into a smaller active region after a time skip, where interaction, alliances and conflict happen immediately and actually shape the world in real time. With the current size of the player base, I think that kind of structure keeps momentum and engagement a lot better. instead of what was proposed, but of course we see what happened. Im generally saying that for an RPG where the player base is small, and you are trying a revival you want engagement > over lore and world building at the moment. You can always fix or make lore later and reasoning for different things. (People want something new and fresh compared to the past).

I am not saying the current idea cannot work, but right now it feels like it spreads activity thin instead of concentrating it, which is probably a big reason why people did not engage.

EDIT: this is without discussing or pointing fingers when it comes to bio checking, customs, and whatever else is out there, just saying that that area was also lacking in expedience or following the agreed upon schedule as far as i could see with multiple things not checked or done multiple cycles back. im not saying it to point fingers at anyone specifically, but saying there was also an issue there.

 

[Gutsy]

Please provide me with the feedback and we'll work on it - comments were made and arguments happened. All of that has happened, but realistically, we're all here to play the ninja game.

So I've set my emotions on display, and decided to do the best I can? We don't need to "like" each other - but we can still make it work (in general I mean, I hold no beef lol).

You can send me a PM/list them here/Discord - whatever works for you (feedback, suggestions, etc).

Just dropped them. or just some of it.

 

[Detective L]

Just dropped them. or just some of it.

Thanks, I'll respond at home.
Next 40 mins or so.

Post automatically merged: Mar 20, 2026

Just a bit more context L.

My issue was not really the idea itself, but how it plays out with the current player base. With lower activity, a faction based flashback spreads people out and makes engagement feel indirect, especially when it is tied to past events. Even if there is technically agency through factions, it does not feel immediate or impactful in the moment. People want engagement > lore and story.

From what I have seen (i think), most people want something more direct where they feel like they are shaping what is happening now, not contributing to something that already exists to set up the future. Which is why people just drop out and wait for something else.

What I thought of instead was something more centralized and forward facing. For example dropping people into a smaller active region after a time skip, where interaction, alliances and conflict happen immediately and actually shape the world in real time. With the current size of the player base, I think that kind of structure keeps momentum and engagement a lot better. instead of what was proposed, but of course we see what happened. Im generally saying that for an RPG where the player base is small, and you are trying a revival you want engagement > over lore and world building at the moment. You can always fix or make lore later and reasoning for different things. (People want something new and fresh compared to the past).

I am not saying the current idea cannot work, but right now it feels like it spreads activity thin instead of concentrating it, which is probably a big reason why people did not engage.

EDIT: this is without discussing or pointing fingers when it comes to bio checking, customs, and whatever else is out there, just saying that that area was also lacking in expedience or following the agreed upon schedule as far as i could see with multiple things not checked or done multiple cycles back. im not saying it to point fingers at anyone specifically, but saying there was also an issue there.

Thanks for the feedback.

Regarding the NW, it wasn't the area I was responsible for but I will co-create and take into account the feedback given to make sure we have a fun hub where we can utilize our characters best. I see where you're coming from regarding the small player base and a focus on interaction and activity vs world building and lore. I made an Eren bio because I was excited to write contained stories for the character.

So to give you a bit more context on your last paragraph there.

We were assigned as sensei into different areas, I of course, highlighted the areas I liked doing as a Sensei and Moderator, which was Training Grounds, Bios, and then customs (everyone got slotted into the normal CJ checking). From there, we divided different fields for each, I recall taking normal customs, CFS (CFSJ incl.), and CE (CEJ incl.). The others were divided amongst Dan, Lee, and Zaph. I then also had to check the Sensei's submissions, which I later gave over to Dan because he was more accustomed and familiar with the current meta.

I wrote a big wallie yesterday on what happened with my activity and me getting semi-booted, and my attempt to get back from that. Dan took on all customs checking, despite the divide, because he had more free time and he said he wanted me to be replaced so I wasn't bothered during a difficult time (which serves to reference Dan doing things alone). When I came back, I continued checking normal customs, and some CFS. Bios were primarily still Robin's, so I admittedly didn't do much there and training I did for a few people during the active spurts. So while my activity was sporadic, I understand why Dan took it all on himself, and I harbor no beef towards him and I've been in that situation before, it's not fun and leads to unnecessary burnout.

I fluctuated on and off with activity, only to find the Sensei Server deleted/gone - meaning there was no central place for us anymore, and I don't know (nor really care) what happened. I am not shifting blame, nor am I denying that my activity wasn't great and led to a lot of backstop on the site. I am just giving you context, which I am sure you've heard various versions of.

My last interaction with Dan was when things were going tough on his side, I told him, I'm okay with checking customs, etc - just that my activity isn't as regular as his and that I withdrew a bit after he said that I needed a lot of hand-holding/guidance on checking customs, because he didn't agree with how I checked his stuff (hence the handing over of Sensei customs to him). And that I am fine with checking things, even if its in tandem with another Sensei to ensure continuity. So I had extended a hand in good faith, not sure how it was received since he never responded and then the server got deleted.

ANYWAY, this became another wallie. I will take your feedback into account, and processes need to be scaled to the size of the current members anyway. I am unable to reach LoK, but have spoken with Zise a bit to see how we can already start the gears moving again, even if its just for a handful of us. This game fortunately/unfortunately holds a lot of value to me, so I won't just let it go when there's something that could be done.

Thank you for coming to my TedTalk 2 @Gutsy

 

[Gutsy]

Thanks, I'll respond at home.
Next 40 mins or so.

Post automatically merged: Mar 20, 2026

Thanks for the feedback.

Regarding the NW, it wasn't the area I was responsible for but I will co-create and take into account the feedback given to make sure we have a fun hub where we can utilize our characters best. I see where you're coming from regarding the small player base and a focus on interaction and activity vs world building and lore. I made an Eren bio because I was excited to write contained stories for the character.

So to give you a bit more context on your last paragraph there.

We were assigned as sensei into different areas, I of course, highlighted the areas I liked doing as a Sensei and Moderator, which was Training Grounds, Bios, and then customs (everyone got slotted into the normal CJ checking). From there, we divided different fields for each, I recall taking normal customs, CFS (CFSJ incl.), and CE (CEJ incl.). The others were divided amongst Dan, Lee, and Zaph. I then also had to check the Sensei's submissions, which I later gave over to Dan because he was more accustomed and familiar with the current meta.

I wrote a big wallie yesterday on what happened with my activity and me getting semi-booted, and my attempt to get back from that. Dan took on all customs checking, despite the divide, because he had more free time and he said he wanted me to be replaced so I wasn't bothered during a difficult time (which serves to reference Dan doing things alone). When I came back, I continued checking normal customs, and some CFS. Bios were primarily still Robin's, so I admittedly didn't do much there and training I did for a few people during the active spurts. So while my activity was sporadic, I understand why Dan took it all on himself, and I harbor no beef towards him and I've been in that situation before, it's not fun and leads to unnecessary burnout.

I fluctuated on and off with activity, only to find the Sensei Server deleted/gone - meaning there was no central place for us anymore, and I don't know (nor really care) what happened. I am not shifting blame, nor am I denying that my activity wasn't great and led to a lot of backstop on the site. I am just giving you context, which I am sure you've heard various versions of.

My last interaction with Dan was when things were going tough on his side, I told him, I'm okay with checking customs, etc - just that my activity isn't as regular as his and that I withdrew a bit after he said that I needed a lot of hand-holding/guidance on checking customs, because he didn't agree with how I checked his stuff (hence the handing over of Sensei customs to him). And that I am fine with checking things, even if its in tandem with another Sensei to ensure continuity. So I had extended a hand in good faith, not sure how it was received since he never responded and then the server got deleted.

ANYWAY, this became another wallie. I will take your feedback into account, and processes need to be scaled to the size of the current members anyway. I am unable to reach LoK, but have spoken with Zise a bit to see how we can already start the gears moving again, even if its just for a handful of us. This game fortunately/unfortunately holds a lot of value to me, so I won't just let it go when there's something that could be done.

Thank you for coming to my TedTalk 2 @Gutsy

Thanks for the TedTalk 2 XD

Yeah, I get where you’re coming from and I appreciate the context.

For me it really just comes down to direction going forward. If the story becomes more centralized, focused on interaction, and feels fresh instead of something rehashed, I would be happy to participate again.

And if there’s anything I can help with in terms of ideas or getting things going, I’m open to that as well.

 

[Detective L]

Thanks for the TedTalk 2 XD

Yeah, I get where you’re coming from and I appreciate the context.

For me it really just comes down to direction going forward. If the story becomes more centralized, focused on interaction, and feels fresh instead of something rehashed, I would be happy to participate again.

And if there’s anything I can help with in terms of ideas or getting things going, I’m open to that as well.

Lol, no worries.
And happy to share - unfortunate it turned out how it did, but let's see what we can do going forward.
And thanks for the offer, I am thinking of how we can utilize the player base more. I am just trying to get in touch with LoK since I don't hold any "power" to give someone a role, for example.

 

[Gutsy]

Lol, no worries.
And happy to share - unfortunate it turned out how it did, but let's see what we can do going forward.
And thanks for the offer, I am thinking of how we can utilize the player base more. I am just trying to get in touch with LoK since I don't hold any "power" to give someone a role, for example.

If LoK is hard to reach, maybe Zise can help bridge that or at least get things moving in the meantime. Even just having someone able to make small decisions or assign roles temporarily could help avoid things stalling again.

Got nothing else on my mind.

 

[Detective L]

If LoK is hard to reach, maybe Zise can help bridge that or at least get things moving in the meantime. Even just having someone able to make small decisions or assign roles temporarily could help avoid things stalling again.

Got nothing else on my mind.

Already spoke to Zise yesterday, it's how I got permissions to be able to move threads in Konoha Town for the bios to be cleared.
But yea, we'll make sure to get everything in gear asap.
Thanks for sharing, Gutsy.

 

[Troi]

Hey L, appreciate you stepping in and writing. Im not against the revival, my issue was about the direction, and how feedback was handled (insults, deflection and blame shifting). Instead of addressing the issue i got insults thrown at me. I said that people werent interested in a rehash of old stories or anything of the sort but wanted something fresh, new, something entirely different. The result speaks for itself at the moment, as the place died again.

We need to put the "people should've listened" stuff to the side. We get it. You may have been right about something. Props to you if what you are saying is accurate but harping on it will not help the advancement of the game.

I love you Gutsy but we need to move past this now. Someone has to be the bigger person.

 

[Troi]

Damn I was late as hell. My bad.

 

[Detective L]

Damn I was late as hell. My bad.

Lmao Mox, we good.

 

[Zaphkiel]

You can throw insults all you want, it doesn’t change the situation.

The server is inactive, the storyline didn’t get engagement, and feedback wasn’t acted on. That’s what I was pointing out. Regardless of who was inactive, or who left their jobs or didn't do their jobs. I told you no one was going to roleplay that storyline, and it was proven, since literally no one is engaging in it.

If the response to that is just personal attacks instead of addressing it, then that kind of says everything.

Now I finally get a neutral statement out of you. Was that so hard?

And I told you on Discord already the deal with the whole event; that it wasn't my idea but that it served for a great catapult into the real story that I have planned. To scrap it would mean to also go back on months of writing, and so, like I told you, I was going to let it run it's course regardless of activity simply for what it could provide in the long-run. I even said to you that you could sit it out like everybody else who isn't interested because the arc only lasted a month compared to the to-be standard of three months.

As for the game. My duties are primarily the Kumi Exchange and Missions/NW. I have not faltered in these areas except for when my country was hit by a hurricane in October of last year. Even when everything else slowed down, I kept to my tasks. The game has died (again) because of 'customs fatigue' and Bios--areas where I spend the least amount of time compared to any other Sensei, and are where most people get their powerups from to scrap with rather than Kumi alone. This means that even though the arc was a dud, if the other more important areas of the game were still operational then this wouldn't have happened. You know this, is the thing, too, which is why I am so upset that you would come on here and try to convince the community that I am responsible for the collapse--especially after our conversation on Discord.

Why then shouldn't I put you on blast for blatant and malicious hypocrisy?

 

[Gutsy]

Now I finally get a neutral statement out of you. Was that so hard?

And I told you on Discord already the deal with the whole event; that it wasn't my idea but that it served for a great catapult into the real story that I have planned. To scrap it would mean to also go back on months of writing, and so, like I told you, I was going to let it run it's course regardless of activity simply for what it could provide in the long-run. I even said to you that you could sit it out like everybody else who isn't interested because the arc only lasted a month compared to the to-be standard of three months.

As for the game. My duties are primarily the Kumi Exchange and Missions/NW. I have not faltered in these areas except for when my country was hit by a hurricane in October of last year. Even when everything else slowed down, I kept to my tasks. The game has died (again) because of 'customs fatigue' and Bios--areas where I spend the least amount of time compared to any other Sensei, and are where most people get their powerups from to scrap with rather than Kumi alone. This means that even though the arc was a dud, if the other more important areas of the game were still operational then this wouldn't have happened. You know this, is the thing, too, which is why I am so upset that you would come on here and try to convince the community that I am responsible for the collapse--especially after our conversation on Discord.

Why then shouldn't I put you on blast for blatant and malicious hypocrisy?

Someone is still being toxic in their response, regardless of that. I’m not saying it was one single cause.

It was a combination of things. Activity issues, people being inactive, people carrying more than others (customs a good example where some were inactive for long periods or others not contributing idk), customs backlog for cycles, and yes, the arc not getting engagement (regardless of how you look at it). All of that played a role.

My point about the story still stands though. If people were more invested in the direction, you would still see more activity even with issues in other areas. Then people would still participate if it was actually something they wanted to see instead of a rehashed story as you pointed out far back in this thread, where you acknowledge that isnt what people wanted.

And on the staff side, it’s not realistic to have one person carry something like customs while others are less active. That kind of imbalance that also takes the winds out of the game, people not checking customs and doing their part as well. Customs are yes a big deal in the game.

On the story side, it also doesn’t really matter who originally wrote it. Even if it wasn’t your idea, it was still the direction that was chosen to run, and that’s what I reacted to and others not playing. So the engagement issue is still tied partly to that, regardless of where it came from.

So to come out at me and point out hypocrisy when you don't even try to take part blame for the game ending but shifting it to someone else is wild to me.

Also, I’m not interested in the back and forth or the tone this has turned into.Since you come out so defensive and blame shifting.

 

[The Big Boss]

@Lord of Kaos settle the beef.

 

[Zaphkiel]

Someone is still being toxic in their response, regardless of that. I’m not saying it was one single cause.

It was a combination of things. Activity issues, people being inactive, people carrying more than others (customs a good example where some were inactive for long periods or others not contributing idk), customs backlog for cycles, and yes, the arc not getting engagement (regardless of how you look at it). All of that played a role.

My point about the story still stands though. If people were more invested in the direction, you would still see more activity even with issues in other areas. Then people would still participate if it was actually something they wanted to see instead of a rehashed story as you pointed out far back in this thread, where you acknowledge that isnt what people wanted.

And on the staff side, it’s not realistic to have one person carry something like customs while others are less active. That kind of imbalance that also takes the winds out of the game, people not checking customs and doing their part as well. Customs are yes a big deal in the game.

On the story side, it also doesn’t really matter who originally wrote it. Even if it wasn’t your idea, it was still the direction that was chosen to run, and that’s what I reacted to and others not playing. So the engagement issue is still tied partly to that, regardless of where it came from.

So to come out at me and point out hypocrisy when you don't even try to take part blame for the game ending but shifting it to someone else is wild to me.

Also, I’m not interested in the back and forth or the tone this has turned into.Since you come out so defensive and blame shifting.

1st Bold: Being that I just explained what the arc's greater purpose was and that player engagement for it's 1 month runtime was not the game-ending issue that can explain the current state of affairs, I'm just going to ignore this.

2nd Bold: I'm glad you brought this up, because even if L was away on vacation that still leaves 3 other sensei to check customs, myself included. And even though it is not my primary area of expertise I've still checked a few customs and CFS/CE both this cycle and the one before it. Now why don't you go ahead and speak the name of the other 'Sensei' who was supposed to help Pervy check customs? In fact, he was the Head of that department and yet I can't even count on one hand the amount of times they've checked or done anything apart from post a submission thread. I notice how careful you are to bring blame to those who deserve it and instead would rather I take accountability for what other's have and haven't done. Very telling.

3rd Bold: Good lord. Gutsy, the arc was a 1-month INTERMISSION. A gap closer. A prologue. A preface, if you will. You need to relax. It was never meant to be a story-rich episode for you to sink into--that comes after. And even though I've told you this both on Discord and here on NB, you still can't seem to let it go, parroting the same sentence over and over, "no one's interacting with it!". So? Am I supposed to reneg on months' worth of writing because nobody likes the gap closer? No, the best I could do is make sure such an uninteresting event never happens again. I don't know who has spoiled you in your life to think that anytime you aren't having fun, the universe should bend and break to accommodate you but you need to snap out of it.

Not to mention I'm the only one controlling all 3 Factions and their independent stories after my other two aides quit. Interesting how I'm not granted the same 'solo grace' as your friend who had been cursed to checking customs alone.

4th Bold: Pray, tell, what more blame do I have to assume in this? I've already listed my feats, duties, and involvement in the game and so if I'm to take any responsibility it would be the general shame of being an admin/moderator of a failed system, and let me tell you, I've no problems admitting to that. We were supposed to be a team, but that didn't work out. But I know that I did all that I could. You and everyone else can see that if you went through the relevant threads, so I'm confused on how much blame I'm supposed to be absorbing here. Unless, by some insane stretch of the imagination, you think that this arc is the reason why the game died...

Last Bold: You started this 'back and forth' with 2 targeted callouts, I was minding my own business, trying to reconstruct what is left of the Sensei's. So unless you want this to stop you will have to stop, because I'll be damned if I let you spew nonsense about me or my contributions to the game, not with all the bullshit your friends (with whom you've been so careful not to shine in a bad light) have done.

 

[Detective L]

Okay guys, happy that you're airing out your frustrations. But let's keep it civil.

On a side note, I got some feedback from Chris soon and we'll open customs as well.
All the other things, we'll also get started on.

 

[Gutsy]

1st Bold: Being that I just explained what the arc's greater purpose was and that player engagement for it's 1 month runtime was not the game-ending issue that can explain the current state of affairs, I'm just going to ignore this.

2nd Bold: I'm glad you brought this up, because even if L was away on vacation that still leaves 3 other sensei to check customs, myself included. And even though it is not my primary area of expertise I've still checked a few customs and CFS/CE both this cycle and the one before it. Now why don't you go ahead and speak the name of the other 'Sensei' who was supposed to help Pervy check customs? In fact, he was the Head of that department and yet I can't even count on one hand the amount of times they've checked or done anything apart from post a submission thread. I notice how careful you are to bring blame to those who deserve it and instead would rather I take accountability for what other's have and haven't done. Very telling.

3rd Bold: Good lord. Gutsy, the arc was a 1-month INTERMISSION. A gap closer. A prologue. A preface, if you will. You need to relax. It was never meant to be a story-rich episode for you to sink into--that comes after. And even though I've told you this both on Discord and here on NB, you still can't seem to let it go, parroting the same sentence over and over, "no one's interacting with it!". So? Am I supposed to reneg on months' worth of writing because nobody likes the gap closer? No, the best I could do is make sure such an uninteresting event never happens again. I don't know who has spoiled you in your life to think that anytime you aren't having fun, the universe should bend and break to accommodate you but you need to snap out of it.

Not to mention I'm the only one controlling all 3 Factions and their independent stories after my other two aides quit. Interesting how I'm not granted the same 'solo grace' as your friend who had been cursed to checking customs alone.

4th Bold: Pray, tell, what more blame do I have to assume in this? I've already listed my feats, duties, and involvement in the game and so if I'm to take any responsibility it would be the general shame of being an admin/moderator of a failed system, and let me tell you, I've no problems admitting to that. We were supposed to be a team, but that didn't work out. But I know that I did all that I could. You and everyone else can see that if you went through the relevant threads, so I'm confused on how much blame I'm supposed to be absorbing here. Unless, by some insane stretch of the imagination, you think that this arc is the reason why the game died...

Last Bold: You started this 'back and forth' with 2 targeted callouts, I was minding my own business, trying to reconstruct what is left of the Sensei's. So unless you want this to stop you will have to stop, because I'll be damned if I let you spew nonsense about me or my contributions to the game, not with all the bullshit your friends (with whom you've been so careful not to shine in a bad light) have done.

I never said this was only on you, and I’ve repeated multiple times that it was a combination of issues. Activity, customs, staff imbalance, and yes, the arc not getting engagement. All of that contributed.

At no point did I single you out or try to pin this on you personally. If you go back and read what I actually said, I was talking about the situation as a whole, not calling you out individually.

What you’re doing right now is narrowing it down to areas outside of your responsibility and dismissing the part you were directly involved in. The arc not getting engagement is still part of what happened, regardless of whether it was a “gap closer” or not. Intent doesn’t change the result.

And saying “it wasn’t my idea” doesn’t really change anything either. It was still the direction that was chosen and run, and people reacted to that. That’s just reality.

Also, the whole hypocrisy angle doesn’t hold up. I’m not shifting blame to you, I’m pointing out one part of a bigger problem. The difference is I’m acknowledging multiple factors, while you’re actively downplaying anything tied to your side and pushing it elsewhere.

And honestly, the way you’re responding to this is exactly the issue. Instead of addressing the point, it turns into insults, assumptions, and trying to frame this like I’m attacking you personally, which I’m not.

 

[Skorm]

May i suggest.. PMs instead?

 

[Zaphkiel]

May i suggest.. PMs instead?

Nah, stuff like this should be public. It's good for people to see all sides and come to their own conclusions. That being said, this has become a scar on the Konoha Town in recent days so I'll just leave that one to shake his fist at the sky while we work on upcoming changes. All I ever wanted for him was to refrain from using my name almost exclusively while discussing what has happened to the game.