When do you decide that an inmate has 'graduated'? Is there some Big Epic Moment of realization or is it more of a slow dawning thing of '...well. huh. guess they have changed'? Or something else entirely?

I've done it several times in the past and still its a mystifying thing to me.

Oh gosh that is my question, too.

So I'll just live here and learn, if you don't mind.

Don't mind at all! There's tea and cookies on the table.

Thank you, isn't that nice.

I haven't played any lmao but I've seen it described by SOMEONE SOMEWHERE as kind of like a, 'they have a moment to do a shitty thing that before the barge they WOULD have done and Do Not Do That Thing, without immediate pressure/trying to will it into being Graduation Points or anything' and I like imagining that a lot

BIG vs chill is probably just personal taste

Rocket's was very small. but I also did it on purpose cuz I was ready to stop playing him so it wasn't, like. a realization on my part, it was me intentionally going "okay this is what he needs to do, let's do it"

I haven't yet played an inmate to graduation, but when I was playing Flint there was a moment that, in retrospect, I maybe should have graduated him, but didn't. So my answer is /shrug??

I... hate to admit that I don't actually remember what the key to graduation was for my one inmate

but it was also a 'I'm ready to stop playing him so let's get this done' situation

all good answers!

I'm reaching That Point with Steve. I love him and his stupid babyface but it also feels like I've kind of... just. done all I can with him.

If there's anything like certain sort of thread, plot thing etc I can do to help give Steve a push, just let me know

and graduating him needn't be the SUPER PERMANENT END if you're worried - even if you never want to play him as a warden if you thought of some new angle later you could bring him back and get demoted

You also don’t have to force it, either. It’s okay if Steve doesn’t feel like he’s at graduation point but you feel like finding new plot beats for him isn’t motivating you anymore.

I think for most of my inmates it's been, like... a moment where they make a choice to handle something in a better way than falling back on the habits that brought them to the Barge

but yeah that can be a big or small thing

(and yeah sometimes it's been organic and sometimes it's like, okay let's make this happen now)

yallternative lols that's a nice idea actually. graduate, then come back sometime down the line as an inmate again. total 'wait, this shit again??' moment. that's cute to imagine.

pharadyne appreciate that, thanks :>

i still have some twenty+ days to sort it out but i do have a couple plans/ideas, half-formed of course, to kinda build off of.