The Sun Sets OOC and info

I should note that Sunburst didn't say anything out loud, she's kind of just staring at everything like a tourist.

She's not b being subtle so if you want Storm to intuit what she's thinking feel free. But just thought I'd clarify.

Bubblez wrote:I should note that Sunburst didn't say anything out loud, she's kind of just staring at everything like a tourist.

She's not b being subtle so if you want Storm to intuit what she's thinking feel free. But just thought I'd clarify.

Didn't notice. I'll erase my last post.

Sunburst didn't say anything, but Swallowtail did talk to you, so you can respond to that instead.

Despite the topic heading claiming "OOC and info", i find myself unable to seek out anything beside direct game discussion. Similarly, the front page of the campaign does not present game-relevant data for the newcomers.

Where may i find what exactly is the setting of this story and what is required to join, assuming such an opportunity arises?

Terrestial wrote:Despite the topic heading claiming "OOC and info", i find myself unable to seek out anything beside direct game discussion. Similarly, the front page of the campaign does not present game-relevant data for the newcomers.

Where may i find what exactly is the setting of this story and what is required to join, assuming such an opportunity arises?

https://ponytales.forumotion.com/t238-the-sun-sets-ooc-and-info

This was the original OOC topic. Once a topic here reaches a certain amount of posts, the forum takes the last couple of pages and uses them to create a new thread, locking the old one. That's why it lists A1C Bronymous as the thread creator but the first post is by Brony 7 of 9. That's also why when you look at the IC threads there is like 4 Sun Sets threads with three locked (in fact, I just noticed that it has happened again recently)...

Paper Shadow wrote:
https://ponytales.forumotion.com/t238-the-sun-sets-ooc-and-info

This was the original OOC topic. Once a topic here reaches a certain amount of posts, the forum takes the last couple of pages and uses them to create a new thread, locking the old one. That's why it lists A1C Bronymous as the thread creator but the first post is by Brony 7 of 9. That's also why when you look at the IC threads there is like 4 Sun Sets threads with three locked (in fact, I just noticed that it has happened again recently)...

Thank you. That was exactly the confusion-relieving answer i seeked.

Having read the game-relevant info, i must say it colours me interested.

However, an issue presents itself.

A1C Bronymous wrote: I only have one restriction when it comes to characters- no Changelings.

On the other hand:

A1C Bronymous wrote: For the purpose of this game, all of Season 1 took place over the course of 1 year, beginning with the Summer sun celebration, and ending with the Gala. This means, in effect, that this takes place before anything else in season 2. No Discord, no wedding/invasion.

What about the Crystal Ponies then? Has enough time passed in-game as to make their appearance viable?

Admittedly, that is the race which i desired to play.

Well, I believe the reasons why Crystal Ponies aren't mention is because the original thread was made 2nd October 2012. The Crystal Empire was released the following month (10th November 2012), so they weren't a thing back then. Now, on one hand, yes, the Crystal Empire wouldn't have came back, thus Crystal Ponies wouldn't have either. On the other hand, the main reason Brony says no changelings is less because of the setting and more the fact he hates changeling PCs, so he could go either way...

But to answer your question: no. In game, I do believe we are still in the week of sun mentioned in the Campaign Document...

Almost 3 days have passed in game since starting, and the game, when first began, operated on the assumption that the first season took place over the course of a single year, and the events of season 2 take place int he second year. Now that 3 4 and 5 are out and showing much more continuity, the calendar has changed slightly- but in no way that affects the timeframe of the game. So the crystal empire is still a long way off, and in this alternate timeline, may never even happen.

And I still very much dislike changeling characters, but if that's what you already have built, then go ahead and show it and we may be able to work something out.

I did not create a Changeling character. My case is worse than that, from what i'm reading. My character is of the Crystal Pony race. As stated:

Terrestial wrote:
What about the Crystal Ponies then? Has enough time passed in-game as to make their appearance viable?

Admittedly, that is the race which i desired to play.

It may have been misinterpreted, as i believe, but i cited Changelings being the only restriction, wondering whether it meant that the opening post has not been modified in this regard due to assimilating changes into the rp.

I wished to confirm my assumption because of the disambiguation look-a-like it proved to be after taking the timeframe of the rp into account. That and inquire whether any relevant timeskip occured.


It seems i did the right thing, seeing how the confirmation for my character not fitting came about.

I suspect i know what kind of a solution might you be thinking of proposing me, as i did consider one myself. Problem is, i chose the skill set for this character in order to make it feel exactly like a Crystal Pony. Hence, refluffing it would be pointless.


I suppose refering to create a different character is the only viable solution now... or is there yet an escape route i have not taken into account? What do you say?

I never said no Crystal ponies, just that the Crystal Empire isn't around so you'd need an explanation, of which I'm aware there are one or two that would probably suffice. I'd still like to see the character though, because then I can help you fix things or suggest alternatives if need be, rather than saying yes or no outright.

I apologize for not responding more swiftly, despite having a chance for that.
I let myself have a good night's sleep to consider thoroughly your words... among others... and strived to solve the issue on my own.


Indeed, there is at least one Crystal Pony, who has lived outside of Crystal Empire before season 3 aired - Cadance, specifically - thus, chances are, she might not have been the only one.
Now that i think about it, assuming at least some descendants of the nothern realm were outside its borders when the Sombra incident occured, they could've diluted their blood, mixing it with that of other races.
Taking the "crazy pony genetics" into consideration, the birth of a Crystal Pony, even in a family not consisting of such for generations, seems viable.

What do you think?

I have already advanced considerbly with the process of refurbishing my character. Seems like the only major components i am forced to completely replace instead of editing are those pertaining to attributes' arrangement flavour:

(I compel you not to judge by those few lines, as they were but one side of the coin. What is important - they presented one of the only and, simultaneously, the most significant negatively charged element. Alltogether, they were supposed to be part of an in-sheet story composed in-between the skill choices. )

Crystal Pony Attributes raw and prototype flavour:

I may need help in seeking alternatives to those... or even let them go. At this moment, i am quite unsure of my judgement.

Due to the finals, my progress is hampered. However, for the very same reason, i am not in a hurry to join before July. Of course, if an opportunity presents itself, i won't hestitate to partake in the adventure.
Naturally, i will try to post the long sheet before that. If winds come to my aid, no more than a few days shall pass from now on until that happens.

For now, i have an additional question. Do you wish for a character questionnaire to be filled and placed alongside the sheet?

Edit: make that one more inquiry:

Are pictures of ponies originating from outside of pony creator accepted?

Point by point:

I don' think Cadance is an actual Crystal Pony from the Crystal empire by any official Canon, nor my own. However, the genetic traits passed down by some obscure ancestor who was outside the empire at the time was a theory presented to me earlier. It's fairly valid.

The flavoring for your attributes do imply your character was a pony under Sombra's rule though, and should be changed- if it suits you. Honestly, you're the first person I've ever seen to flavor attributes, and it doesn't make much difference to me if you choose to leave it as is. The big thing to keep in mind, though, is that you won't have any connection to the Empire, nor will you probably ever in this particular game.

If I were you, I'd keep the sheet as much the same as I can, or keep a copy, in case you get to play a closer version of what you originally built later on, and then choose what is and is not relevant for this game.

It's good you aren't in a hurry, I don't know if/when a slot will be open any time soon. If it goes past July and the game is still trudging along with all players still onboard (it also tends to go very slow), then I'll find a way to put you in. Alternatively, it's remotely possible the players will complete the current campaign within that time (maybe. Maaaaaaybe). If so, I'll be happy to put you in the inevitable follow up campaign.

I don't care for questionnaire's, they're tedious and often don't have any relevance to how the character is ultimately played. If you want to make one, fine, but it's solely for your benefit.

Pictures from any source are acceptable. I'm compelled to add that they should abide by forum rules, but really that'll be between you and whatever passes for mods these days.

Alright. Done. Finally gathered the strength to put together the last few missing lines.
I leave it to you to comment upon. I'm fairly interested in your opinion, to be honest. Don't spare me your critique, please.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/127cYQLjPkttyT2lslPHIlnCoyvnnLioiCs5wtGtj1-E/edit?usp=sharing

Preemptively warning:

First lines of description are humble, as a subject yet to be molded as to fit in the setting accordingly.

Also:

I have made some plans as to create a back-up character - one of a simpler nature - were this one not fitting. Just saying.

Oh you meant that kind of picture. That's... that's a pony alright.

Ah but now I've read far enough to get it. Eliminates one or two questions I had as well.

So the primary things that stand out to me. First is the very basic 10 8 5 5 Attribute spread. Its not a problem, but its uncommon to be so rigidly distributed. And stacking all your free bonuses into the 10 slot is... ill advised. But not a huge problem, if you're happy with it then I am.

Mechanically, I do notice you have pretty clearly gone for flavoring that will attempt to allow an otherwise normal pony to have all manner of quirky attributes- by which I mean most of the most useful Abilities in the game. The rule I've had for the other characters is to stick to as close to show canon as possible with regards to what each race can do. Most of them are great- the flavoring for empathetic is good and you didn't do anything ridiculous with alter ego, and Celestia's light is in keeping with what we've seen with the show. The stuff regarding your hair, webspinner and strengthen substance, are a bit out there. Stealth mode is pushing it, but doable. Also, some of the flavoring still has that "I'm from 1000 years ago" theming, and should be edited.

"Freaky Knowledge: Sneaking around" is too vague of a selection. Stealth is already a skill, so that by itself would equate to another Expert skill, plus any other times it might come up in other skill checks. I suggest narrowing it down to a specific aspect of sneaking, or go with something else entirely to give yourself more advantages in other skill checks. You're probably not going to fail a skill check any time soon as is. I recommend putting to what your Cutie Mark/Special talent is.

On to Combat.... I'll be honest, I'm not looking too hard at your combat mechanics. You have 8 talents and items, good. But the flavoring, once again, needs to be fixed so that you aren't a lone survivor from 1000 years ago.

ALSO, probably last and most important thing- you need to level up. The characters are level............


.....4? I think. The other players can tell you, but it means more Ability points, increased combat item gold, combat traits, the group boon and a Destiny.

Finally, I'd ask the other players for feedback as well, as they know what the party already has and what they might need, and offer any other advice. Meanwhile, I'm sending you a PM with a few questions I have.

Terrestial wrote:Alright. Done. Finally gathered the strength to put together the last few missing lines.
I leave it to you to comment upon. I'm fairly interested in your opinion, to be honest. Don't spare me your critique, please.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/127cYQLjPkttyT2lslPHIlnCoyvnnLioiCs5wtGtj1-E/edit?usp=sharing

Preemptively warning:

First lines of description are humble, as a subject yet to be molded as to fit in the setting accordingly.

Also:

I have made some plans as to create a back-up character - one of a simpler nature - were this one not fitting. Just saying.

/Looks at picture

My eyes! It burns!

Kidding. Its slightly garish, but it is a crystal pony, so okay. He seems like some sort dandy, so maybe a noble of some sort, which too little sense, too much money and too much free time? You don't have to take my suggestions, just throwing them out there.

His Alter Ego form is an Earth Pony Mare.

Weekend at last. Time to take a deep breath and revel in what has been put aside for a while.

A1C Bronymous wrote:So the primary things that stand out to me. First is the very basic 10 8 5 5 Attribute spread. Its not a problem, but its uncommon to be so rigidly distributed. And stacking all your free bonuses into the 10 slot is... ill advised. But not a huge problem, if you're happy with it then I am.

Yeah... it was distributed like that specifically to flavour the enslaved Crystal Ponies, subjected to a memory-rending spell... can't say it looks well without that part.

A1C Bronymous wrote:Mechanically, I do notice you have pretty clearly gone for flavoring that will attempt to allow an otherwise normal pony to have all manner of quirky attributes- by which I mean most of the most useful Abilities in the game.

Have i? I agree that i've had him be potent in different areas of expertise.. or at least have interesting actives... but while choosing them, i did not drive my choices through the prism of effectiveness. If i did, i'd have gone for ominpotent tools like teleport and telekinesis... heck, my char had Heart of Courage in the first place. Replaced it due to it being listed under "troublesome for GMs skill".

A1C Bronymous wrote:The rule I've had for the other characters is to stick to as close to show canon as possible with regards to what each race can do. Most of them are great- the flavoring for empathetic is good and you didn't do anything ridiculous with alter ego, and Celestia's light is in keeping with what we've seen with the show. The stuff regarding your hair, webspinner and strengthen substance, are a bit out there. Stealth mode is pushing it, but doable.

Hahah, well... to be honest, i used reverse psychology for that process. Instead of choosing abilities and then trying to flavour them, i tried to select those which would fit a Crystal Pony in the first place.

I agree in that the hair matter was a bit.. stretching it... heheh... but there was yet one more important goal i wished to achieve - to make an interesting character without going the easy way.
That is, taking a unicorn and having a valid excuse for everything with just one word.

A1C Bronymous wrote: Also, some of the flavoring still has that "I'm from 1000 years ago" theming, and should be edited.

It may not have been noted as a subtle difference it is, but instead of going for a Crystal Pony from a Crystal Empire i went for one who lived outside it, but knew about its tragedy and felt strong emotions towards the course of history. That's why some of the notes concerning the knowledge are left, if edited slightly.

EDIT: (for some reason didn't include that part before:)

A1C Bronymous wrote:"Freaky Knowledge: Sneaking around" is too vague of a selection. Stealth is already a skill, so that by itself would equate to another Expert skill, plus any other times it might come up in other skill checks. I suggest narrowing it down to a specific aspect of sneaking, or go with something else entirely to give yourself more advantages in other skill checks. You're probably not going to fail a skill check any time soon as is. I recommend putting to what your Cutie Mark/Special talent is.

A mistake on my behalf. I thought, for some reason, that stealth, not mechanics, included lockpicking and the wise. Also, i meant going around quietly by that. Hiding and such would not apply.
Hence, it looked like a pick of the herd for me.

/EDIT

A1C Bronymous wrote:ALSO, probably last and most important thing- you need to level up. The characters are level............


.....4? I think. The other players can tell you, but it means more Ability points, increased combat item gold, combat traits, the group boon and a Destiny.

Wow, that... changes a lot.

May i ask for:

a)
List of players engaged in the scenario? (i do not wish to judge myself by what is in the thread, considering there may be some temporarily absent ones that i do not know about)

b)
Links to their character sheets?

c)
Chosen group boon?


In the light of the circumstances, i say: screw that Crystal Pony. Perhaps i'll use him in a more fitting setting with Crystal Empire present, without all the meddling required to do so otherwise.

Using the increased creation capabilities, i have reworked and remastered the backup i spoke about. It is a fairly simple character, at least compared to the previous one. Here is the link to its raw form:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qKh9oGuSjHcr1XN6Wxfhlsf80nEVzOgeYBpT1GYNXuk/edit?usp=sharing

I must say i'm kinda proud with how i managed this one's combat build...

Name, picture and flavour will be added in a while... quite a while. Should find some to think about it more thoroughly after Monday.


EDIT 2:

I hope you don't mind me citing one question from your pm - as it may be at the end of the tongue of some too:

A1C Bronymous wrote:I no longer need to ask why you chose such a feminine picture for your stallion, so instead of that I would like to ask if there was a specific reason why he transgenders- was there a specific reason, or is that just how it ended up happening?

Crossdressing, not genderbending.


I had a lot better reason for using a mare alter ego than pulling off pranks for the original concept of this Crystal Pony. I actually wanted to play a Crystal Pegasus... with a 5 in knowledge, yet a Cutie Mark in history and Adept to that. Wanted to flesh out with it the remains of the memory erasing spell, slowly subsiding - with the general knowledge about the past being dim, yet with some occasional bursts of spectacular amount of knowldege, clearly showing what was he once capable of.

It was to be a sort of a dramatic scenario setting for a pony, who, despite the adversaries of the fate bestowed upon him, tries his best now to live with what he can.

That is, his manual skills (10 in precision) did not collapse and served him s a basis. He got into two different areas of expertise - sewing and flying - both filling his time and making him quite happy.

There was, however, a twist.

It was a one-time prank only, a bet, that made him act out as a mare during flying ... and he was unfortunate enough to be spotted by the ones with a keen eye for that (i had acrobatics trained up to 13 and aerial ace to that) It turned out that he became engaged in the more professional flier groups (Sweet and Elite) keeping it a guarded secret that flying was not his life-long passion.

He intentionally crossdressed as a Pegasus mare only for those occasions, because he cherished both parts of his life - the quiet, humble life of a once-librarian, now a dressmaker as well as the adrenaline-filled one of a professional flier, aiming as high as possible. He liked the way he could act natural when presenting himself as the Crystal Pegasus he was under normal circumstances and wanted to keep the line between those parts of his life's schedule.


That was his whole ability list:

Adept (6)
(up to) Aerial Ace- 12
Webspinner (4) – At Will
Fabricate (3) – 2/Day
Alter Ego (2) – 3/Day
Sweet and Elite (3)

... unfortunately, i had to drop the ambitious project in order to have the Crystal Pony feel like one... flying is very costful in this system...
/EDIT 2:

Well I kinda liked the Crystal pony, but yeah the 1000 year old flavoring didn't work (Actually mostly I just liked the Alter Ego as a thing). The new pony... The abilities remind me a lot of my first character, going for outright skill over any fancy tricks, and they're fairly standard- except for the Attribute boost trifecta. I've never really seen any profit from having the three of those, as when all is said and done, when points are spread out it actually doesn't make too much a difference. You, however, have clearly not spread any points out. 12-3-3-12 is a bold choice, but the only way really to optimize those three abilities.

Combat looks good, pretty standard Stat-o-mancer, though I looked at the items first and could have sworn you were building a Tank.

This link has all but one of the character sheets, which I will have to fish for and add to the folder: Sunset Stuff
And I'll add yours once its finished.

The current Party includes:
Storm Eye, Pegasus Doctor
Dodger, an Earth Pony thief and all around murderer of all things
Night Scales, a Bat Pony private detective
Gearick, a Unicorn, Royal Guard scientist
Silver Bells, a Unicorn from a far northern kingdom (Fluffy, not crystal)
Sunburst, a Weather pony and victim of things like kidnapping and drug experimentation
Penned Sleuth, a Pegasus, and another detective

For the group boon. I don't remember what they picked, they certainly haven't gotten much use out of it- probably Team Awesome. But they also have, sort of, when I remember her, an extra NPC "Boon"- and Owlicorn cherub named Koli. She has a few beneficial purposes, including assisting with magic and being a hint-giver, with the right persuasion The last time she was brought up was.... quite a while ago. I'm not sure of her current location, as the party is split right now.

A1C Bronymous wrote:Well I kinda liked the Crystal pony, but yeah the 1000 year old flavoring didn't work (Actually mostly I just liked the Alter Ego as a thing).

You did? That's nice.
Not many rp cores validate such abilities. Not to mention GMs willing to dabble in such social arts are scarce.

To be honest, now that i've looked more closely upon the co-players' char sheets, especially the one of Silver Bells:

~ a unicorn mare from far north, preferring the company of fillies rather than gentlecolts, yet looking for a stallion, to take back home...


... i see that it could've had social potential.

I might get back to you on that. I'm not dropping the idea, merely shifting its presence to the "tinkered with" section. Perhaps the follow-up to the Sun Sets will see one dabbling in a double life?

You see that pony stepping into the ballroom. What do?:

Also, will the follow-up be dealing with a new, lvl 1 cast?

A1C Bronymous wrote: The new pony... The abilities remind me a lot of my first character, going for outright skill over any fancy tricks, and they're fairly standard- except for the Attribute boost trifecta. I've never really seen any profit from having the three of those, as when all is said and done, when points are spread out it actually doesn't make too much a difference. You, however, have clearly not spread any points out. 12-3-3-12 is a bold choice, but the only way really to optimize those three abilities.

I'll admit that i've had a bundle of doubts concerning those... quite expensive little buggers... especially since i've shunned them for quite a while after going through the handbooks. I generally go for flexible characters, able, yet not shining too much on their own. However, i've come to a realization that this character's specialization is actually the key to covering most of what i could require of him:

Arcana and History are covered by Persuasion and, the often neglected, Streetwise. What my character is obviously lacking in wisdom, it makes up for gathering relevant data from surroundings.

Acrobatics - a book example - overlaps decently enough with Athletics.

Heal&Mechanics - those two, presenting perplexing, yet significant tasks and sporting quite an array of abilities connected with them, are best utilized by specialists in the field - and there is usually no need for more than one of a kind... which we already have in the group.

Stealth - alright, you got me here. I could put that to good use. However, with half a team already more than capable of sneaking around, i do not think of it as a necessity.
In terms of the three classical rp methods of entering a house, i got two others covered well enough.

EDIT:
How was your experience with said first character in this system?
/EDIT

A1C Bronymous wrote:Combat looks good, pretty standard Stat-o-mancer, though I looked at the items first and could have sworn you were building a Tank.

To be honest, that demonscale was more important before i discovered alternative ways of replenishing energy during combat. Since i'd be able to afford Blind Rage every once in a while and could not be sure whether i'd be able to launch Mind over Matter... i decided to put the last, seemingly negative effect of the armor to good use, raising my chances of keeping a non-harmful (save ends) effect in order to make a bigger explosion later on.

However, i agree that i've put thought into patching up my char's defences. Dealing with status counter-control, it represents a strictly supportive cast, especially when faced with a singular, strong enemy. Hence, with no dedicated defender in the group, it's a fragile, key target - especially when taking into account that all the d12s i'm going to roll may heal all but me.

I am actually considering two options:

1. Shifting the Special Move from Healer's Grace to Assasin's Gambit and going yolo with all the 1/144 chances... but i don't think killing's gonna be the style of my pony, so that's kinda out...
2. Replacing Blood is Power with Second Sunrise. With the cost of 6 it may replace Mind over Matter in case a group healing's a must (during boss encounters, i presume, since MoM is cool, yet still an AoE) without a change in my usual tactics. I may not do much with Blood is Power either way <i think?>, it being only a 5 ongoing (save ends) damage. It actually served in the first place to optimalize the amount of energy during the round, along with Blind Rage... what do you think is a better choice? Asking only from the perspective of the ongoing damage... do you think it is worth factoring in (without much trouble, since it's my only minor) instead of Second Sunrise as an alternative to Mind Over Matter?

On a related note - what is the average length of battles/adversary encounters?

A1C Bronymous wrote:This link has all but one of the character sheets, which I will have to fish for and add to the folder

Thank you. As said, that already got me thinking quite a bit. Awaiting eagerly the missing one.


EDIT 2:
Also, seeing how we already have the two quite situational Elements of Kindness on the team, i've changed that of my character to element of Laughter, modern version of which is only one currently in use... am i right in my assumption that the effects of the older ones have not been changed on purpose (law not working backwards and such) and are in use the way they were first presented?
/EDIT

Ok, so because of reasons it seems that we have lost Bells and Gen, adding to my game's rather impressive PC loss tally. However, initial polling seems to suggest that the remaining players are still interested in continuing, so we shall continue.

The group in Town Hall are now in standby stage. The three of you can chat it up as long as you like while the other group finishes up and I can bring you all back together, but for now nothing is going to happen from my end.

The other three still have a few options from here, to include:
Further investigate the scene and/or interrogate the captive.
Take the two back to town hall, let them decide what to do with them, and we time skip (w/stuff)
continue looking for the macguffin child that was a plot hook that is no longer relevant (I would suggest not this one)

@Terrestial, I think I can slot you in after the time skip, if you think you'll be ready by then. With the way these guys post, it could still be a few weeks until then.
Also, You had questions that I neglected to answer:

Spoiler:

A1C Bronymous wrote:Storm, Gearick, Bells:
"Fair enough." The Medic peeks through the door again. "You all can wait out in the lobby, I'll send someone for you if anything develops." He steps through the door and shuts it behind him.

Were we all waiting out in corridor? It might've been my imagination, but I thought we went inside the room.

Yes, you were all in the hall. He shut Thermal in there while you talked.

A1C Bronymous wrote:@Terrestial, I think I can slot you in after the time skip, if you think you'll be ready by then. With the way these guys post, it could still be a few weeks until then.

Alene's going to have priority when it comes to my focus, as promised - since we'll be probably starting sooner than that. Will try to do what's in my might though.

... but i wonder if i shouldn't reconsider that. I mean, that would be the third game i'd be starting at the same time. Maybe i'd be better off not taking on so much all of a sudden, as to not disappoint both myself and others?

A1C Bronymous wrote:Ok, so because of reasons it seems that we have lost Bells and Gen

Aaaw... and the former looker really fun... why her of all...? Sigh*

Also, the latter is not Gearick, is it? So... is it the missing one from the google docs that you wrote earlier about?

Yes, Telebiscuit's character Gen was pretty much entirely written in to go with Bells, and since Copper has expressed a lack of interest in continuing this game, she dropped as well. She was a half-pony half-dragon bard type, I think.

I don't imagine you'll be starting in here within the next week or two, unless the ex-combat group really goes nuts and knocks out the final phase before the timeskip, so you should have plenty of time to figure out if you can or still want to join by then.