One month after WoW...

It’s been a month since I left behind the World of Warcraft completely. So, let’s review what’s been accomplished in the post-WoW era thus far:

* We’ve got the new Drupal-powered site at http://www.jointhesaga.com
* OtherSpace has a crafting system, with items that players can customize and rename
* OtherSpace has a roleplaying "belt" system, which provides recognition for our most accomplished roleplayers
* OtherSpace has an HSpace testbed
* We've been able to showcase some fantastic new art by Reode
* I’ve kicked off a Twitter MUSH-awareness campaign
* The who list is regularly in double columns
* We've started offering bits of the old OS grid to players as keepsakes
* We're offering personalized virtual bobblehead souvenirs
* We're offering jointhesaga.com email addresses again
* We've added new races that ought to appeal to anthropomorphic roleplaying fans
* Story-wise: The Koltkamir government on Aukam formed under Zar Hideg Fekretu, creating a new foe for the playerbase

Back in January, someone asked: If OtherSpace is still sluggish in six months, would I shut it down for once and for all? The good news: No need to answer that question, because it feels like the sluggishness is fading. From a State of the Game standpoint, I think we're in pretty good shape. We've got a solid core of veteran JTSers, a growing crop of newbies, and a fairly steady flow of visitors. We've even seen players who faded away in the past showing up again with renewed enthusiasm. We've seen an uptick in PayPal contributions, which are always welcome to help offset the expense and effort of running the site and marketing the game. We're not anywhere close to break-even, but we're paid up for the year and in no danger of being shut down. Our Google analytics show an upswing in new traffic, not from old reliable sources like Top MUD Sites and the MUD Connector, but from Twitter and Facebook.

No, OtherSpace won't be shutting down anytime soon if I can help it. It's only going to keep getting stronger. As crafting continues to expand, as we add Hekayt Prime and other worlds to the grid, as we introduce the space system, OtherSpace will continue to grow and thrive thanks to the combined energies of an enthusiastic playerbase and an involved lead designer - the way it worked best in the old days.

The news for Necromundus isn't quite as cheery, but it's not all that grim, either. We've let it slip under the radar during the past few months while the lead admins worked on adding subclasses and expanding the sandboxy feel of Necromundus. However, now that OS is starting to steam along nicely and the work Necro's admins have been doing behind the scenes is close to finished, I'll start dedicating some energy to that game. Besides a lot of marketing on TMS, TMC, Twitter, and Yahoogroups, it'll get a bunch of new badges, including the roleplaying belt system that started on OtherSpace. Both OtherSpace and Necromundus will get a new belt, the Steel Belt, which will be one step above the Golden Belt - awarded to a player who accomplishes the achievement of earning a Golden Belt on both games. Another bonus for Necromundus: Anubis and Loki took on a new minion, Inari, to help spark activity. So, it's safe to assume that Necromundus is about to enjoy a renaissance of its own in the coming months.

All in all, it seems like giving up WoW and throwing myself back into the mix, full-force, is having an overall positive effect. So, what could make me happier?

* Getting some Golden Belt players who can become mentors for new players
* Spending more time writing the online novel (it has taken a back seat to the work that needs to be done in-game)
* Developing Ribas Salek through RP on OtherSpace
* Evolving the Koltkamir storyline on OtherSpace
* Getting at least a year or two ahead on server/marketing costs
* Fleshing out the information about Necromundus on the Drupal-powered site
* Settling on a BY-GOD-FINAL design for the main website at www.jointhesaga.com

We've had a lot of changes within the past year. I want to thank everyone from OS:NJ, Millennium, and Chiaroscuro who weathered the storm of our transition to the new OtherSpace. It amazes me how well that hare-brained scheme of mixing the three playerbases worked out. Yes, we had some regrettable losses as some players didn't want to make the shift, but we've bounced back. We'll be here when they decide to give us another try.