User blog comment:Chilly Bean BAM!/An extremely serious announcement/@comment-2189621-20191003040806

IMO, the main reason IaLR is inactive is because the new episode plots rely too much on the episode's author being online, causing the plot to come to a screeching halt when they're offline. I think this is why stories are way more successful, more often than not. In stories, the author(s) can write at their own leisure, and put it on hold if they so desire without worrying about other people getting mad at them for stalling a series.

Pre-SitDS episodes did this right. Sure, there were a few key plot points the author set off, but for the most part, the story proceeded without needing the author. To use myself as an example, I think this is why The Room of Clash Royale and Region for the Sky were good, if not great episodes, while Stare into the Dragon Soul and Popping Party at the Monkey City were complete failures. Lemme compare two of them. In Region for the Sky, there were only a few key plot points: Ripto's introduction, the battle with Crush, the battle with Gulp, the gang getting sent to Ultra Space, and the battle with Ripto. However, between all of those, the other roleplayers had the ability to do as they please, even if there's a goal in place (For example, they did have to find power orbs, but they could find them however they wanted to). In SitDS, however, the entire plot is based around plot points that needed me to finish them. The gang had to partake in a battle, then proceed to another one, then repeat until they reach the guardians, which starts phases that are pretty much like the battles, and then they fight Umlaut. The roleplayers had no freedom at any point in the episode. The episode failed because I was expecting full creative control over something several other users worked on as well. Stare into the Dragon Soul went against the whole concept of a roleplay, which is why I still hold it as what I consider the objective worst episode of the series.

I dunno, maybe it's just me who thinks this. Maybe I just made this rant on the spot so I can take more potshots at SitDS. But this is what I feel is what's driving people away from IaLR.