The Future of the Zenko

[Jay Voncloud]

I do like the idea of making the Zenko grounds into a mini village outpost thought, specially if the spring does come down.

[Tenaar Feiri]

So while I'm going about checking the to-do list on the Zenko, let me ask the Zenko-sympathizers a question:

   Should I leave the perpetually-falling snow in the area, or can that be taken off?

The never-ending snowfall was another of the things Erick liked. I want to know if it's relevant for anyone else, or if it can be scraped.

What's the IC reason/explanation for the snow?

If there is none, then out with it. It serves to create nothing but lag.

If there -is- a good IC reason for there being snowy there, then maybe. I'd still say out with it though, as it causes a noticeable amount of lag, especially when more than 5 people are in the same area.






ALSO:

To improve the Zenko, let me put it this way: Less teaparties, more actual military activity & discipline, and more academic RP.


I had a page-long rant about the Zenko earlier (oh how I've ranted to my friends), but I couldn't make it sound less offensive if I tried so I decided to summarize a little:

As it stood before, there's been no RP to even suggest that the Zenko is a military force and hasn't been since I joined Lismore and the Zenko the first time.
Apart from the occasional events hosted by the ECs, I've had more interesting things happen at my grandma's teaparty than in the Zenko. Needs a fix imo.

[Ashtyn]

I can't remember if there was any IC reason other than Erick loved ice stuff and was associated with ice magic, so once it started snowing one winter, it stayed like that perpetually simply because he liked it and ice was his thing.

[Caex]

if i recall he used caex's death as a excuse for it.

[Sen]

To improve the Zenko, let me put it this way: Less teaparties, more actual military activity & discipline, and more academic RP.

*gasp* Not the tea parties! 8< Anything but the tea parties!

x3 But yeah, moar of what you said, unless people are off-duty...

Also, the snowflakes have made me lag plenty :x Having perpetual snowfall with standing water on the Zenko grounds doesn't make sense to me, either >.<

[Ashtyn]

Ok, so unless anyone has anything else to add, I guess the snow is going out for now.

[Ashtyn]

...and if anyone has pictures/links/reference to what they think would be a good replacement for the Zenko castle, send it to me please so I can have an idea what people are going for. 

[Sen]

...and if anyone has pictures/links/reference to what they think would be a good replacement for the Zenko castle, send it to me please so I can have an idea what people are going for. 

*blink* Wait I'm confused, I thought the castle was staying?

For references, do you mean images for one you could construct, or pre-made castles in SL to purchase n' throw down?

[Ashtyn]

The castle is staying. But I want to remodel or rebuild it because that one there is a prim monster, and I know I can build something as good or better for many less prims than that one takes.

[Sen]

Hmm...Well, there's one castle I know of that's positively gorgeous. Mind you, I don't expect something like this could ever be built to scale, but I really like the overall design.





Right now, the Zenko has just about everything needed for a proper european castle - a outer wall, a courtyard, and the main castle. If you were willing, you could go so far as remove the tea house entirely, and replace it with a big, robust tower like in the images to serve as the barracks. From there, y'could absorb the Alchemy guild into the central construction of the castle to save on prims, and -bam-, one nice, but uniform design :3

[fawn]

I'd prefer something old, grey, and gradually sinking into the landscape....

[Jay Voncloud]

I think this would be suiting, as i feel the design would work for a small castle

[kenneth cale]

oh you WAAANT soemthing old grey and sinking into the landscape.

i thought when you said that you meant it was a bad thing. thus all my pink castle ideas

[MysticLancer]

I think the guardhouse should look more like a barracks to house the guards. The fallen pillars should probably be removed and the workstations that exist within them should probably be placed within a sort of guild hall. I do notice that IC RP hasnt exactly been the best for a military faction but there are some things that can be done. Ill start hosting some training events as well as a class when I can, though I havnt seen many people take advantage of the classes already being offered. The castle should definately serve a more scolarly role within the Zenko so members can learn more. I dont think well be doing much splitting up as we have to get more members first and the squad idea based on a certain class didnt work so commanders will most likely be in charge of certain people or more than that regardless of class.

It will take a bit of time reorganizing but not too much. If a character needs something done at the Zenko, the person playing them can always IM me oocly and ill come in to help. The snow effects doesnt really add much IMO, but its not a huge annoyance. The only things I can think of that need restructuring are the guard house, the castle, and the work stations.

Ill try to up the ante so we dont keep a reputation for tea parties XD

[Sen]

All this talk about overhauls and the thread in the Phoenix got me thinking - a new alarm system should be implemented for the Zenko.

Given that the whole area resides on a mountainside, ringing out a bell loud & large enough to be heard across the island strikes me as being terribly perilous, what with avalanches and the highly volatile tass crystals growing on the grounds. The idea was spitballed that maybe signal fires should be used for the Phoenix, but this was shot down due to the low visibility in the caves.

Since the Zenko is the highest structure on the island, I think signal fires would do much better there than a bell. It also strikes me as much more visibly impressive. What do you guys think? o.o