I wanted to take a moment to share and accept responsibility for our recent momentum hiccup. 

Call it summer, or busy, or a passing phase, I don't know...but the last two weeks or so I've really been lax in my GM duties.  I'd like to apologize for that and let you know that my gaming spirits seem to be on the upswing.  I plan on digging into Dilemma tonight and getting that back on track.  Thanks to JShowell, for keeping things in order with the Payback thread.

The fact that the game still seems to be thriving despite the absence of the GM, says a LOT about the cast.  I'm so into the stories that you guys are creating and I can't tell you how much your continued enthusiasm means to me.

If you've contacted me about wanting to do a Joint Post or needing something, and I've let it go, as I have a tendency to do, please get with me again on it. 

Cast related catch up.  I know i don't run everything by you guys.  I kind of think and if I like something, I just do it.  So here's an update in case you were wondering what all has been going on behind the scenes.

Bunty had to step away for a few, his work schedule was getting hellacious.  BUT, he really didn't want to take a permanent leave of absence.

Nestor has stepped in, very kindly and with a lot of preparation and study (thank you Nestor) and assumed the role of Edison for the Payback adventure.  After which if he's into it, and things go smoothly (He doesn't wanna shoot me, I don't want to shoot him, etc.) he can introduce another character.

Christen got a new job and just didn't have the inspiration to be proactive with Phase, and I didn't have the energy to motivate her.  :)  So, she happily offered to give her up if someone else wanted the 'bitch'.  *grin*

RGordona stepped up quickly and with much study, I think he's read almost everything TCQ related (Thank you RG!) and is playing Phase until I can write her out of the story, or keep her permanently if he wishes.  Short term goal is getting through Dilemma, then we'll talk about the future and if he'd like to remain.

Aaronymous has brought in an excellent character, Xaview Releford, he's guest staring in Dilemma thread.  After which he will remain a resident of Hudson City and depending on Aaron's availability available for side posts.  

Torchwood chose to write Ardent out of ths story, it felt right to him and his character and after a bit of debate and a losing argument on my part, he has brought in Danny .  I must admit, though, I really am more inspired by Danny than I thought I could be about any replacement character he'd be able to drum up.  

Lem is missing in action.  :(  I'm trying to reconnect with him, but I know his real life is very demanding of late.  If I don't hear from him soon, I'll be writing him out of the Payback thread.  Mason will fade to the background unless I can get Lem's blessing to get someone else to guest star with him on occassion.  To be honest, I love that character and hate to let him go, but for game moves I need to have a 3x per week check in commitment.  (exceptions happily granted if I know what's going on) Unfortunately real life doesn't always cooperate with that.

I think that's everything cast wise.  Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.  

Okay, I got the big bad news today.  Lem will be dropping out of TCQ.  I'm sorry to see him go, he had a LOT of enthusiasm and interest in the game when he had time for it.  It just isn't in the cards for him right now.  

No worries, I have everything covered for his exit from the Payback thread if that becomes necessary. 

I know that all I do is talk to myself in this thread...  but I wanted to throw this out any way. 

I am SO pleased with the recent momentum.  You guys put up with me this summer, when I barely had the energy to move the game a few times a month, and never complained. ...and now I'm back, and bursting with this insane enthusiasm, wanting to throw you into the thick of it at this break neck speed...and you guys have all responded.  I don't deserve it, but I'm so psyched to have it.  

Thank you!

Now, with that said...  we're sitting in March in the game and we're sitting in August real time.  ...and yes it's silly, but you all know how crazy that makes me when I get to big of a game time/real time spread.  ...so, I'm really excited and focused about driving these threads home.  I think that in both scenarios (Dilemma and Payback) the teams are in the last phases of planning and ready to hit the trail.

I don't want for this to be formulaic, and I apologize if it feels that way at the end, but I really feel like you've done a lot to get here. There has been a lot of character development in both threads.  So, bear with me as I continue to drive this game forward.  I'll try to leave tag ins, but if I don't and you have something valuable to add, feel free to throw it in.

I think we're out of the water now with Payback, for a bit I was worried their might be a war between the PCs, but I think Nemesis has that under control at the moment.  (No thanks to Stone! *grin*)

So...I wanted to share with you that my goal is to wrap these threads up by the end of September.  We started a year ago September 1st...and I can't hardly believe it.  That way I can have a halloween thread! Maybe a costume party! 

For those of you have gotten my nags, as of the last day or two, I'm sorry.  I can't take them back.

I'm not feeling a lot of enthusiasm, and it's eating at me, and I've been nagging in order to help pick up momentum.  Which is eating at me just as badly as the fact that we aren't having much momentum.

If there's something I can do to help you out, let me know.  Otherwise, I'll be NPCing any character that hasn't had an action in 5-7 days.  I hate to do it, but one way or another I have to move these scenarios to completion.  I would prefer doing it with the players, but if that can't happen, then I'll NPC those that can't participate.

Thanks to those of you that have kept me in the loop.  I understand that games are low priorities and am understanding in why you can't post.  I just ask that you be as understanding when I jump in and NPC your characters.  :D  I'll try not to mess them up too badly.

Okay, with Dave (Admelior) leaving I must say that I haz a big sad.  Dave was instrumental to this place, this game, and was just great to have around in general and it grieves me that he won't be around any more.  He's simply irreplaceable and I'll miss him.

That being said, we have a core group with a lot of enthusiasm for the game.  Our current roster looks like this:

Bunty - Avatar
KL - Heatwave
JBone - Seabass
Richard - Soldier Boy
Torchwood - Ardent
Sinanju - Raven

Ophilia and JACE are two I consider integral to the current regime so I'll have to NPC them indefinitely.  Nemesis... well, I guess I can write him out somehow or otherwise logically sideline him, but with Danny and Stone also gone that doesn't leave us much of the original team or DiSantiago subplots to work with. 

I've got three ideas at this point:

1. Partial TCQ reboot.  Same city with the same NPC personalities but things have changed.  The D's are still behind the team but there's no day-to-day presence like Ophilia around.  Also, JACE, Nemesis, and Stone would be gone.  This lets us retire all the PC-turned-NPCs and related subplots and focus on just you six while leaving the door open for people like Dave and China in the event that they decide they'd like to come back.

2.  Total TCQ reboot.  Still the Conquistadors, still in Hudson City, but the D's are no longer involved with the team, just merely very important background community peeps.  Seabass's background probably wouldn't have to change much.  The Conquistadors are a totally independent team.

3.  Close TCQ and start a fresh superheroic game.  I know, I know... I hate to even bring it up.  TCQ is the reason why this site exists in the first place.  But I look at China and Dave as the heart and soul, respectively, of TCQ and without them I feel like I'm conducting necromancy, animating a corpse.  I don't think it would be terrible to admit that the game may have had it's run and now it's time to turn mother's picture to the wall and head out.  I'd start a new superheroic game, probably New York Knights (which had an impressive amount of potential, I always thought), for the seven of us.  You could play your current Conk PC if you like but anything and everything would be open to change.

Please, let me know what you think and where you'd like to see this go.  China and Dave, if you're out there and have an opinion, I'd welcome it.

Much as I hate to say it, my 'vote', if I have such a thing, would be for option 3. Honestly, I'd rather EVERYONE be able to come back to TCQ with their characters, and that includes Stone. Dave not being there removes one of the last larger links to the core of the story, and it's just not the same. And you know I love you brother man, and it has nothing to do with how you are running things. 

More to do with respect for the builders, if you know what I mean.

Hope that makes sense

Hey hey! I'm not totally bailing on the idea of NextGen. My previous job ate my life and I didn't realize it until it was almost too late. Now that I've moved on I'm dealing with a LOT less stress, but all that change comes with its own set of challenges. Unfortunately, at least for now, that means I must work 5 nights a week to make up the income. Not sure if that'll change in the next month or two (I'm hopeful it does) but right now I'm doing what I must to make ends meet. However, working 5 nights a week as a bartender takes its toll physically and mentally, so even when I'm not working I'm trying to play catch-up with the rest of my life. It's temporary in the grand scheme of things but like I said, any potential change is still a short ways away. 

I blame no one for being unable to keep up with the current TCQ storyline. I'm simply too tired and/or busy to put much time into it right now. It's not a lack of will but of ability. 

I still have the bug (or have it again) and hope to actually get some of my own ideas into print as well as rejoin the community as a whole. 

John, do NOT blame yourself. The fact that I'm annoyed that I can't keep up tells me that it's still in me to participate, just not right now. At least, not very well. 

I don't want to cause this particular game to fail so if you want me to continue plugging away with what I can, when I can, I will. I was thinking I might be holding y'all back, is all. If my little contributions help keep things going then I'll be happy to keep trying. 

Don't know what to say except ,.,blugh. That's a word, right?  

I agree it's really not the same without Phi and Nemesis and Stone. I still really like the characters that are still here. I could see continuing on in some way if Stone sticks around...the partial reboot idea.Not super interested in a total reboot, it feels like going backwards.

I would also be interested in a brand new campaign.

Probably going to write a few TCQ stories no matter what happens, and will always remain interested in JPs in the Conk-verse.

Blugh.

How about this then: I can start a new superheroic game for the daily posters and we can just leave TCQ alone.  People can post side stories or joint posts at their own pace and advance whatever plots they want to advance.  TCQ would become totally self-service.  That way nobody has to be written out. 

I would totally be into contributing to TCQ in this fashion.  I could see myself writing the occasional Stone piece and I'd be happy to work on JPs as Stone or JACE or whomever at whatever pace is preferred.  Sound like a good idea?

 Yes... good deal.. i like it. 

I'd really like to see TCQ continue in it's current form. If that means posting stories as people have time then I'm all for it. TCQ has too rich a history to reboot or sideline completely.

OK, I think we have consensus.  We'll keep TCQ active as a self-service campaign without changing anything regarding structure or background.  It keeps China's vision pure and allows people to post whatever they like at their own pace.  I'll volunteer to stay on as an acting "GM" when such a role is needed, but I won't be actively running any plot threads.

Meanwhile, I'll get started on getting New York Knights active after the campaigns in front of it (KL's new game, ICONS) are done gathering players unto them.

Not everyone has chimed in yet.

True, but it works, no?

 I endorse the consensus. I wouldn't want to do anything to radically change TCQ. Keeping it on the back burner works for me. TCQ has enough vitality and potential for that to work. I can always pop out a side story about SB getting drunk and fucking a chimp, or some such thing.

Now on to our question and answer segment.

Question the First: Would New York Knights campaign be in the TCQ universe?

Question the Second: Shouldn't we do something about all the 'dead' players before we bail, or would it be better to play that out as a series of JPs?

Question the Third: Who was the fourteenth president of the United States?

k, guess I'm done.

1.  No, or at least I hadn't planned on it but I'm open to ideas.

2.  It sure would be a decent mystery to use as a hook for anyone to do a JP, series of JPs, or solo pieces. 

3.  Stevie Ray Vaughan

 1. The shared universe thing would make TCQ cameo appearances possible.

2. Agreed.

3. No, no, no! Stevie Ray Vaughn was the fifteenth president. David Lee Roth was the fourteenth. Idiot!

I agree with the seeming consensus. Backburner TCQ, but don't close it. (I hadn't realized that Stone vanishing was because he was being retired as a PC. Why do I keep missing all the memos!?)

Another supers game (New York Knights) could be fun. Crossovers with TCQ (if it's in the same universe) could be entertaining as well. I think there should definitely be room for side pieces and joint posts in the new game too. I'm kinda in Admelior's boat; I've taken a part-time job to supplement the wife's income while I continue to write on the side and work toward making my income from that. (Not that I've done much writing the last few months, what with medical stuff going on, though that's now behind us--knock wood.)

But I have the bug. I LIKE online RPGs, and I don't want to drop them completely. But there will be times when I may not be able to post frequently.

Having the dubious distinction of having played two characters in the TCQ universe (neither of which were my own creation), I'm not sure if I qualify to contribute a vote, but mine would add to the consensus of keeping TCQ in stasis and open a new chapter.

I'd leave the choice of it being in the same or different universe up to the illustrious GM, essentially whichever would make his job easier.

I would like to get a chance to play with a character of my own, if that's possible.

Just in case you forgot, because heaven knows I've really sucked this past year.

I was so excited to see Thrak start up a little TCQ thread and even more so when I saw how you guys rallied to it.

I have really really been missing writing and am gearing myself to pick it up again.  I need to enforce a slower pace for myself so that I don't forget (or more accurately ignore) my other responsibilites.  But I do want to come back and rev up TCQ again.

I'll need to read the most recent thread that you pulled out.  I'll need to remove my crazy desire to keep a timeline that is accurate and real, I always desperately want to keep a pace that makes it feel like a year goes by, but I just can't in this medium.  I'll need to recruit some fairly serious GM type running help for when we do combats, because it grinds to a halt because that part is so hard for me.

I'm not sure WHEN exactly but I'm thinking February for any of those that are interested in continuing.

So, before then, someone needs to plan a trip to the maple room to kidnap our favorite bartender.  :)

China

IT'S CHIIIIINNAA!!

I should apologize for the yelling, but I feel the occasion called for it.

I'm so happy I piddled.

Just let me know what you need, and I'm there :) 

***** SPOILER ALERT *****

Thrak killed off Danny and Stone! That bastard!

Yay Torchy, I'm so glad you asked.  :)

I think I confided in you a very large portion, if not everything about the family's side of the equation.  I think that the game could benefit a lot with us collaborating a bit more, making sure I didn't forget anything, or that we make it better where appropriate.  

I also need to get with Thrak about our dearest Stone and figure out what to do with him.

And I need to put out feelers to all of the players and take advantage of the handwave bit to write out anyone that won't be returning.  I think I can deal with that tactfully and leave them alive just in case they decide to return later.  

I'd hate to lose Nemesis (hate hate hate), but if it comes to that I think we can still manage.  Between all of his enemies that were gunning for him and the volatile relationship between he and Phi...we can think of something easy to swallow.  Displace him in such a way that if Dave has time later he can return.

Oh gawsh, I think I'm getting excited again.  

WHAT!!!!!???????????!!!!!!

lol....

Seriously?

Is that possible?

Three times

I think everyone accept Xavier managed to post at least a little bit to Thrak's thread. So if you get things started up again there's a good possibility almost everyone will be back.

Seriously, if China's back then I'm definitely gonna be here! As I've told some of you in private messages, I'm getting to that point where I'll be damned if I let another fun hobby fall by the wayside in my quest to get Life under control. I wanna stay, I wanna play and...damn. I piddled, too.

But yeah, I'm definitely in.

This.  And I'm happy to help as combat or co-GM as needed.

nod nod.

What about JACE?  I emailed him to let him know that Thrak was running a thread, did he have a chance to drop in?

Sin - are you moving Iron Maiden to NYK?  I'm fully in support of this if you had planned to.  It might help my focus if I can stream line the plots more.  If not, I'll work it out, you have always been very patient with me and I appreciate that.

Basically this is a great time for anyone that doesn't want to continue to let me know.  Because it would be easier to write any characters out right now and leave openings for them if they change their mind.

I'll get to work on catching up next week.  Starting with JPs and side emails to various characters to help jog my memory.  Sorry...but with the big cast I'm having trouble remembering all the sub plots.

    
After all the ups and downs, I can't quite wrap my head around this! But YAY!

I emailed him as well but never got a response.  I was going to write him out.

This was the plan, but given your return I leave it up to Sin if he wants to change his mind or not.  There's plenty of time for me to make adjustments to NYK.

Iron Maiden's only appearance in TCQ was a side-piece I wrote where she interacted with Raven. I plan to have Iron Maiden participate in the NYK game, yeah.

Very cool, I totally support that decision.  Especially cool if NYK shares a world.  And it will help me a bit wrap my head around it all.  And it will have Stone be the only brick brick in the immediate game.

I THINK I was juggling 12 characters when I dropped the ball.  So going down even one or two characters won't be a bad thing.