The Future of the Zenko

[Jannisia]

I vote that people try to capture Ambros and use hir to figure out how hir power works >.>

*shot*

Nah, but really, I was originally going to involve hir in something like this to begin with. A good excuse for it.

[Xela]

Nobody's forgetting you, but everyone else should get a chance to be equally involved :3

Lies, Rune is all forgotten! :p

But still, she seems to be involved in very little to do with Tass/Manapoisoning. Would like to change that if I can. After all, its what she's designed for!

[Husky Dragon]

I'm sure everyone will get a chance to be involved once we get things rolling.

[Sen]

I personally LOVE the idea of a magic school and a greater shift towards the importance & utilization / containment of Tass.
However, I do think the Zenko's notecards should probably be revised, and if we want people to be able to feel welcome and (relatively) safe entering the Zenko then perhaps a change to the ground's rules is in order?

I also have some other ideas, most of which I've been pushing for for some time XD;

The Wall: With the tower having fallen who knows how many years ago, I don't see the point of keeping that huge, gaping hole there. I would think someone would have gotten around to repairing it right now, especially since the Zenko is no longer under threat of spontaneous attack. It might be worth redesigning or even removing the wall to make the Zenko area appear less intimidating upon approach.

The Broken Tower: Again, this has been there for some time, and I fail to understand the point of keeping the rubble around for this long. It would get in the way of daily traversal (It's either stumble over this, detour on the barracks balcony or walk through a pond) for the Zenko's inhabitants and, to me, is a waste of prims.

The Alchemy Guild: If this is going to be a focal point of the magic teaching in the Zenko, I really, really think the guild should be given an actual building instead of a hovel.

Baths: Could we have a lovely stairway somewhere instead of just a hole in the ground? XD

Tass!: With the focus shifting more towards tass and its spreading, I would LOVE to see a greater spread of tass in the area. I think additional crystal trees (perhaps replacing the mundane trees in the Zenko) and tass crystals creeping over the castle and across the grounds would look great.

General Architecture: I still would really like to see a unification of the Zenko's architecture under a set theme instead of a smattering of japanese (tea house) roman (arena) and european (castle).

With a division between military and magic, I think maybe a better representation of the military's fortifications could be present. Heavy artillery, Spike barriers around the portal (y'know, those criss-crossed X-shaped wood fences? Could be 1-prim sculpts), etc could be a really nice touch.

[Ashtyn]

(long reply is long!)

Dont forget Rune! D: She is basicly designed around Tass, with abilities to both remove and create it.

...who?

It might be nice if Zenko was a bit more accessible? Ummm.... It has great big walls around it for one thing. It's always been intended as a closed community right from the beginning, and that's an interesting concept - to have a faction that you have to work to get in to.

...wait, are you pro, or against this?
You start saying like it's a bad thing, but then you approve of it. 

I think you could improve the faction by keeping the exclusivity and strictness, but including a "venue" or "space" that is physically and culturally accessible to everyone.

Accessibility (physical and cultural) is a very good point! The strictness that went on in the Zenko has gone through different phases. I remember a time when the guards there were supposed to bar anyone who came too close to the portal, or other 'sensitive areas'. While there are places people aren't supposed to casually visit (like the jail, or private bedrooms!), such places should be kept to a minimum in relation to places people can go. Also on a military setting, you don't go somewhere unless you have official business there. Such barries could certainly be lowered, or removed altogether.

However, on what comes to approachability, or how intimidated you feel by the Zenko tall walls, we have to keep in mind what goes on in there. These people deal with arcane energies! They make potions that can make your eyeballs melt, or turn you into a whale! They train for combat, life and death situations. They deal with the supernatural. The mystical. The mysterious forces of the universe. Their venue shouldn't be a big tent set up on a beach. It needs to show strength, power, it must show they mean business!

I do think the Zenko's notecards should probably be revised, and if we want people to be able to feel welcome and (relatively) safe entering the Zenko then perhaps a change to the ground's rules is in order?

That's part of what this is about. We're taking this opportunity to review what people think works and what people don't think works, and make the Zenko better.
The Zenko laws are something that should be implemented IC, though. So, Relina and whoever her advisors are can get together and come up with new laws if they want.

The Wall: With the tower having fallen who knows how many years ago, I don't see the point of keeping that huge, gaping hole there. I would think someone would have gotten around to repairing it right now, especially since the Zenko is no longer under threat of spontaneous attack. It might be worth redesigning or even removing the wall to make the Zenko area appear less intimidating upon approach.

Nope, the wall stays.   
From any standpoint, such wall would be an advantage. It makes it easier to keep unwanted people out, makes it easier to keep people in, it ties up with the landscape, and from an IC aspect, it would take a huge amount of work to tear that wall down.

The Broken Tower: Again, this has been there for some time, and I fail to understand the point of keeping the rubble around for this long. It would get in the way of daily traversal (It's either stumble over this, detour on the barracks balcony or walk through a pond) for the Zenko's inhabitants and, to me, is a waste of prims.

I do agree we can clear the rubble and make the entrance a little more neat. 

The Alchemy Guild: If this is going to be a focal point of the magic teaching in the Zenko, I really, really think the guild should be given an actual building instead of a hovel.

Actually the whole "school of magic" was supposed to take place in that big-ass castle. If you ever been to an university campus, you'll notice different departments have different buildings. The castle would be the main building, and the alchemy would take place on the other building. It's also a good idea in case things go BOOM! Don't put all your eggs in one basket. 

Baths: Could we have a lovely stairway somewhere instead of just a hole in the ground? XD

I've been for the longest time wanting to move the Zenko Springs down to the ground where we could use the actual sim water and all, but Ken and Erick were strong against the idea. Their reasons, the privacy that the current location offers. Perhaps we should re-visit this idea?

Tass!: With the focus shifting more towards tass and its spreading, I would LOVE to see a greater spread of tass in the area. I think additional crystal trees (perhaps replacing the mundane trees in the Zenko) and tass crystals creeping over the castle and across the grounds would look great.

SPOILER ALERT:
In case you haven't noticed, all trees in the Zenko were turning into giant tass crystals. The plan was to continue that trend. 

General Architecture: I still would really like to see a unification of the Zenko's architecture under a set theme instead of a smattering of japanese (tea house) roman (arena) and european (castle).

Ok, this one I will put the blame entirely on Erick!
He couldn't settle for a style. One week he wanted Persian, another he wanted everything to be made of crystals, then it was Egyptian, then my TLotR tower of Orthanc, then Japanese, then we found that castle and he fell in love with it, but then he wanted an icy landscape (I guess the buildings would be igloos?)... It was very frustrating!
Of all structures in the Zenko currently, the only ones I insist on keeping are the wall and the castle. Unless someone puts together a REALLY DAMN GOOD proposal for re-doing the entire thing, the wall and the castle stay!
(but really damn good proposals are still welcome!)

[Sen]

@ Ashtyn: YAY all those things sound great *dances* And yesh, I'd love to see the topic of the Zenko baths being made public revisited :3 I'm not sure about relocating the baths so that they're exposed and in the open in the sim, I kinda like how secluded it is, but I think any point of entry other than the current location would be an improvement.

For the alchemy guild, I wasn't suggesting they be put in the castle, but rather the guild's building could be built to some shape or size that isn't obviously the midsection of a chunk o' crumbling tower x3

As for the general architecture thingy...I like the castle a lot o.o Why not use that same pseudo-european architecture of the castle (dark stone, towers, stained glass <3) for the rest of the Zenko, plus glowy colorful crystals to offset the dark doom n' gloom? :3

[Novaku]

Clear the rubble and repair the walls, perhaps even make an arch gateway as entrance. As for the general architecture, I would like to see the arena being kept, it still does serve a good purpose, but perhaps rebuild it into something more fitting with the castle.

[Caex]

i'm working with a small scale design to propose to ash for a entry gate as well as give zenko that unified feel. i am also working on standardized uniforms but am in dire need of a quality texture artist in order to speed up my work. i can do the textures myself if absolutely necessary, but it will take a long while.

i'm also running a event called ATTACKS, yes all caps, that will ICly give zenko a reason to remodel and deal with the need to call for a reorganization of zenko.

the main bits of the event are classified and are on a need to know. anyone who has been disclosed information i request you keep quiet about it. what you know, even if you deem it minor, is sensitive information and i have disclosed it to you for a reason.

[Jay Voncloud]

Prehaps one thing that does need to be taken into account, is making the zenko grounds one style or the other, at the moment its a medivil castle with a japanease tea house and a romanesc arena, so its alittle hap hazard, so along with the new gate being made, prehaps have a theme to the area instead of looking like its all been plonked down

[Ashtyn]

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.

[Jannisia]

I find the snow laggy and unneeded. That being said, it's not my decision.

[kenneth cale]

i like it. thats part of the zenko history. unless you plan to make a mountain region with lots of blizzardyness. that would be the tits. :3

[Sen]

i like it. thats part of the zenko history. unless you plan to make a mountain region with lots of blizzardyness. that would be the tits. :3

In theory, you could change the terrain for the upper mountain reaches of the ground-level sim from its kinda sandy state to something snowy, and then mebbie add ice n' snow features to everything :3 Save on prims AND it'd be blizzardy and mountainy. I just suggest this cuz I dunno how much a mountain region with lots of blizzardyness would be used, y'know?

[Zim]

Personally i think it should go back to the way it was when i started at least partly it was relaxed peaceful there was an inn a dojo a hot spring and for the most part it worked why not go back to that find someone to watch over it laws are simple and the idea of splitting it up into two factions why not take that further and make it a place to seek knowledge and relax like a school with a small village around it find people who know different things and have them teach others best part wouldn't have to do much changing

[Husky Dragon]

Personally i think it should go back to the way it was when i started at least partly it was relaxed peaceful there was an inn a dojo a hot spring and for the most part it worked why not go back to that find someone to watch over it laws are simple and the idea of splitting it up into two factions why not take that further and make it a place to seek knowledge and relax like a school with a small village around it find people who know different things and have them teach others best part wouldn't have to do much changing

There's no intention to split it into two factions. The academy and Zenko military are the same faction, the Zenko as a whole. We do not simply want to throw away the newfound military aspect, and the idea to have there be a school has already been suggested - in fact, we're quite keen on it, as it helps give the Zenko a more unique purpose.