General feedback (Red Dawn SFS)
- Thread starter Mickee
- Start date
kokopelli
New member
- Joined
- May 23, 2025
- Messages
- 7
- Reaction score
- 7
- Points
- 3
hi 
the server was a lot of fun, but I was disappointed that the initial timeframe I heard it would be (3 weeks) was actually going to be only 2 weeks, especially since we waited so long to run the invasion itself (4 days I think?). I think this delay in getting the primary spectacle going and, in addition, the unfortunate inability of the team to run events over weekends due to different IRL factors crippled my ability to attend. I suspect this was also the case for my other west coasters who share my timezone or have an even earlier timezone.
Overall:
While I have my personal criticisms about the SFS, I'm glad that the team put the effort in and created an enjoyable experience for us. I look forward to what comes next from the Idyllic team, HL2 or otherwise.
the server was a lot of fun, but I was disappointed that the initial timeframe I heard it would be (3 weeks) was actually going to be only 2 weeks, especially since we waited so long to run the invasion itself (4 days I think?). I think this delay in getting the primary spectacle going and, in addition, the unfortunate inability of the team to run events over weekends due to different IRL factors crippled my ability to attend. I suspect this was also the case for my other west coasters who share my timezone or have an even earlier timezone.I feel like the map choice caused some difficulties with the roleplay due to its lack of distinct locations and interiors. At the end of the day, I think it's difficult to change GM_Fork into RP_Fork. The forest was the best part about the map, imo.
The invasion RP itself was cool but felt artificially drawn out by constant bombing (HL2 hunter chopper bombs disguised as JDAMs especially). I felt that this amount of bombing would be realistic for an invasion, and it probably mirrored the movie as well, but it also hampered individual engagements between survivors and invaders imo. I would have liked to have had firefights during the invasion.
The town was immediately made to feel like an untenable battleground where death was certain, yet it felt like most of the roleplay occurred there during the invasion. This could be due to players being so spread out. Last Monday, the first event of the final run of events also supposedly started in the town. The survivors (including myself) were later told that the event didn't happen partly because no one decided to walk to the town to investigate, which would have been suicide in our minds. The other reason was, of course, low player count. It started at 4 PM for me, which is a half-hour before I get off work.
I was entirely unable to attend on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
The final event was jarring for me, having come back with a large IC knowledge gap. I still had fun playing it, though. I was hoping that Kuryakin had died after she pulled my name out of nowhere and knew I was a vet. Unfortunately, Fred had mistaken a *drumroll* random Soviet conscript for his priority target, the beret-wearing officer. With his short-term motive in the narrative utterly destroyed, Fred was later forced to feel that he was "redeemed" for something via PEV despite utterly failing to identify his target. At this point, following the IC knowledge gap and timeskip, my attachment to my character had weakened to the point that I was just glad to have survived and seen the finale through to the end.
I asked when we would make soviets and was told "later" on invasion day, so I decided to be patient and wait for the announcement that we were free to do so. I could have followed up, but I tend to avoid haranguing the administration as much as possible and figured that word would come for applicants to get set up. This caused me to not play a soviet until the finale.
The invasion RP itself was cool but felt artificially drawn out by constant bombing (HL2 hunter chopper bombs disguised as JDAMs especially). I felt that this amount of bombing would be realistic for an invasion, and it probably mirrored the movie as well, but it also hampered individual engagements between survivors and invaders imo. I would have liked to have had firefights during the invasion.
The town was immediately made to feel like an untenable battleground where death was certain, yet it felt like most of the roleplay occurred there during the invasion. This could be due to players being so spread out. Last Monday, the first event of the final run of events also supposedly started in the town. The survivors (including myself) were later told that the event didn't happen partly because no one decided to walk to the town to investigate, which would have been suicide in our minds. The other reason was, of course, low player count. It started at 4 PM for me, which is a half-hour before I get off work.
I was entirely unable to attend on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
The final event was jarring for me, having come back with a large IC knowledge gap. I still had fun playing it, though. I was hoping that Kuryakin had died after she pulled my name out of nowhere and knew I was a vet. Unfortunately, Fred had mistaken a *drumroll* random Soviet conscript for his priority target, the beret-wearing officer. With his short-term motive in the narrative utterly destroyed, Fred was later forced to feel that he was "redeemed" for something via PEV despite utterly failing to identify his target. At this point, following the IC knowledge gap and timeskip, my attachment to my character had weakened to the point that I was just glad to have survived and seen the finale through to the end.
I asked when we would make soviets and was told "later" on invasion day, so I decided to be patient and wait for the announcement that we were free to do so. I could have followed up, but I tend to avoid haranguing the administration as much as possible and figured that word would come for applicants to get set up. This caused me to not play a soviet until the finale.
The use of vehicles and bombing were really well done at times. I genuinely felt like I had to be on my toes as a survivor and still only make it by the skin of my teeth. The event runners did a good job of balancing their focus between different groups of players most of the time, though as mentioned above I think individual troop engagements would have been much cooler than running from bombs.
The pre-invasion stuff was very cool, especially the serial killer arc. As mentioned, I just wish it had been cut short rather than the occupation being cut short.
As always, the roleplay and overall plot was solid. Very good writing for the overall narrative. It felt believable and cinematic.
The pre-invasion stuff was very cool, especially the serial killer arc. As mentioned, I just wish it had been cut short rather than the occupation being cut short.
As always, the roleplay and overall plot was solid. Very good writing for the overall narrative. It felt believable and cinematic.
Overall:
While I have my personal criticisms about the SFS, I'm glad that the team put the effort in and created an enjoyable experience for us. I look forward to what comes next from the Idyllic team, HL2 or otherwise.
maybe next time we should pick from a pool of SFS ideas that Smarmy will actually log on for
/j
/j
I liked the SFS!
Obviously I missed the initial passive City RP, and the invasion itself. So I showed up after all the RP was done.
I liked the setting!
But I also know that some people were under a misconception that this RP would be a guns-blazing power fantasy though, rather than a retreating guerilla-war like its inspiration, Red Dawn. I heard some OOC commentary after the invasion where some players seemed a little upset about the fact that their civilians got steamrolled by the soviet invaders. I don't know if that was a communication failure or if players just failed a perception check.
There was also a lot of time where no admins were on, and without established characters that people were heavily invested in or avenues to develop materially or explore locations in a canonically-impactful manner, it seemed that there wasn't a lot of drive for passive rp and character-building.
Dunno what the solution is to this. I guess I'm not entirely joking with my comment outside the spoiler, though.
Maybe next time, we could do two rounds of voting--
one where we figure out what RPs people would actually play, through a non-anonymous yes-no questionnaire,
and then a second round where we vote anonymously to see which RP we actually choose.
I'm sure with new GMs, particularly Rabbit who's on at some of the odd hours that existing staff aren't online, we'll probably be running into the "lack of events" problem less often.
All in all, I think this SFS was a good learning experience!
And it was nice to finally take a break from playing Lucas. I love him and I love his interactions with everyone's characters but man it felt nice to play someone else without FOMO.
Obviously I missed the initial passive City RP, and the invasion itself. So I showed up after all the RP was done.
I liked the setting!
But I also know that some people were under a misconception that this RP would be a guns-blazing power fantasy though, rather than a retreating guerilla-war like its inspiration, Red Dawn. I heard some OOC commentary after the invasion where some players seemed a little upset about the fact that their civilians got steamrolled by the soviet invaders. I don't know if that was a communication failure or if players just failed a perception check.
There was also a lot of time where no admins were on, and without established characters that people were heavily invested in or avenues to develop materially or explore locations in a canonically-impactful manner, it seemed that there wasn't a lot of drive for passive rp and character-building.
Dunno what the solution is to this. I guess I'm not entirely joking with my comment outside the spoiler, though.
Maybe next time, we could do two rounds of voting--
one where we figure out what RPs people would actually play, through a non-anonymous yes-no questionnaire,
and then a second round where we vote anonymously to see which RP we actually choose.
I'm sure with new GMs, particularly Rabbit who's on at some of the odd hours that existing staff aren't online, we'll probably be running into the "lack of events" problem less often.
All in all, I think this SFS was a good learning experience!
And it was nice to finally take a break from playing Lucas. I love him and I love his interactions with everyone's characters but man it felt nice to play someone else without FOMO.
