Newsletter RpNation Newsletter: February 2018

Member of the Month
When did you start roleplaying? What were your early experiences like?
I actually started roleplaying in 2014, but I still consider myself very much 'new' and a 'beginner' compared to most! Wow, I can’t believe it's been that long already! My, the time flies! But, wow, okay, so I actually first started writing stories in high school and I was influenced by my good friend Brianna. We collaborated back and forth often with our stories, reviewing and editing each other's stories. It''s actually funny since we wrote SHINee - the first Kpop group I ever listened to - fanfictions together and I just had the most amazing time even if some stories never saw day light or made any sense whatsoever.

Nevertheless, one day, on a site I frequented, crunchyroll, I actually joined a roleplaying group that one of my friend GMed. The first time I started roleplaying, I was such a complete and utter beginner. I wrote paragraphs after paragraphs to the point that it was becoming a novella. I had no idea what I was doing but, that didn't stop me from what I loved doing the most: writing! Before I knew it, someone decided to interact with my character despite the novella I wrote and after that moment, I never looked back. I was engaging in conversation with other people who had the same passion as I, people who enjoyed making stories, people who wanted a creative outlet, and best of all people who just wanted to have fun. There were so many ups that I had forgotten the downs during my days on crunchyroll. Nevertheless, I was part of a roleplaying group that went on for a year with so many different ideas, plot, and fun stories that were integrated together.

All in all, I believe that my early experience of roleplaying is not as different as it is now except with an addition of new friends, new experiences, and new stories. Oh, and of course, the fact that I migrated to RPNation!

How did you discover RpNation?
Unfortunately, and it was sad to see, all good things must come to an end or rather each chapter has to end for another to begin, right? Well, crunchyroll's activity levels were slowly decreasing on the roleplaying grounds and so because of the decrease in activity, I honestly believed that my writing days were over. I was grasping at straws with my friend Alex aka the GM to get everyone back and on board the group again but to no avail. But, as I was browsing Yaya's , one of the group member , profile who had been inactive for a while, she had written on her profile that we could find her on a site called "RPNation"! Curious as I was, I decided to check out this "RPNation" and low and behold, here we are now about 3 years later!

Curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back. I couldn't have agreed more with this statement since I truly was beyond ecstatic to join this roleplaying site!

What features would be in your ideal roleplay? Do you have a favorite genre?
Hmmm, an ideal roleplay? I'm not sure if this counts but, first, definitely, communication in the roleplay! I am an active lover of out-of-character chatter because I find it much easier to connect with someone's character if I know the person who's "puppeteering" said character. Of course, we don't need to be best friends or "buddy buddy" but it's just nice to have some form of interaction! At the same time, it makes me feel as if the roleplay is active if people are actively getting involved aside from just writing a post and is the posting rate has slowed down incredibly. I want to share stories with others, collaborating and getting excited over the plots and our characters in the roleplay!

My second ideal feature in a roleplay perhaps would be organisation! If a roleplay is organised in terms of information where it's easy accessible, I absolutely am a sucker for it. I can be a complete perfectionist when it comes to making things not only aesthetically pleasing but also organised. That being said, seeing a well-made and constructed roleplay is something that is my weakness because it makes me feel as if the GM put enough thought, time, and effort into making their roleplay work for their players.

Oh goodness, a favorite genre? That's so hard to choose! I am usually not picky at all, however, I am a huge sucker for different time periods such as the medieval era, the victorian era, the1900s, etc. I also very much enjoy fantasy elements in roleplays that can very from low to high fantasy.

What are some other hobbies you have besides roleplaying?
Ah! I am so not sure if this should be even considered a "hobby"! Honestly, this should be considered a lifeline and that is. . . spending time with my puppy Mia and my kitty Cloud! They're the cutest and cuddliest creatures on the planet! I am totally not biased.

Ahem, anyways, I actually play a few different musical instruments: piano, violin, and bass. I had been playing since I was 11 on and off. I mostly play by ear now. Can sleeping be a hobby too if I'm not studying for my exams or eating as well? Teehee.

But, if there's something else that I do besides roleplaying actively, I'll usually swim if the water isn't too cold or play basketball. But, recently, I've been a "homebody", preferring not to play basketball anymore since I scrapped my leg really bad from a bad fall. Nevertheless, drawing, reading, and playing instruments are my go-too unless my mum coerces me into karaoking with her!

Do you have a favorite quote?
I have many favorite quotes and I'm not even sure which one I should choose from! I usually highlight many quotes from books or see other quotes on my browsing on tumblr or pinterest! Nevertheless, as cheesy and cliche as it sounds, I absolutely love quotes from Disney movies . . . and then there's Lord of the Rings plus . . . Harry Potter. Oh boy, the many choices!

But, I believe I'm going to choose a quote that is currently pertaining to something that I'm going through and it's a quote by Dumbledore from Harry Potter Prisoner of Azkaban.

"Happiness can be found even in the darkest times, if only one remembers to turn on the light." - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

What is a guilty pleasure of yours when it comes to roleplays?
When it comes to roleplays, my guilty pleasure is making the characters for the roleplay! I love going all-out for my characters even to the point of putting more information about my character than necessary such as a detailed written appearance, adding in mtbi's by taking a personality test based on my character's perspectives, making a polypore account just to make an "outfit of the day" for them in the roleplay or just to show what they'd wear, and so much more added aspects of my character to make them "real". Very, very extra I must say!

I love using realistic images for appearances only because I love using gifs and I can clearly see this certain actress, actor, or model who can play the role of my character to the tee. When I'm creating my character, I love seeing in their perspective and getting to know them beyond the surface since their "voice" is in my head as crazy as it sounds.

Any tips for members unfamiliar with BBCode?
Ooh, yes, yes! I have so many tips!

1. Aways, always, turn of RTE! And, I'm sure we're all sounding like a "broken record" by always starting off with BBCode tips with "turn off RTE!" But, it's better to be safe than sorry!
2. The next tip that I'd like to give out is that you should always, always close your BBCode tags! I know for crunchyroll, despite them using BBCode, RPN and crunchyroll BBCode is completely different and you must close your BBCode tags!
3. Please be patient with working with BBCode. It is always easy to get frustrated and annoyed if a code is not going your way, but I promise, you will get the hang of it! And, if you need help, help is always there! If you feel yourself getting annoyed with your code, take a break! Take the time to walk around for a moment, get your brain going once more by focusing on something else before getting back into it! I know I have to do that sometimes!
4. If you find yourself feeling a little uninspired, don't fret! I usually get my inspiration back by browsing the net. If you go to tumblr themes, you can scroll and take a look at the many different layouts and get inspiration from them. Or sometimes even looking through some of the BBCode workshops here too! Lastly, I love looking on Pinterest for inspiration because I absolutely love making mood boards to help the creativity flow!
5. I know it's hard to want to start with the basics of bbcoding, but I believe, for those unfamiliar with BBCode, it is best to start off coding BBCode and then slowly making your way up towards BBCode + and divs! BBCode is very specific with how you code and the order you code. However, I'm sure once you get the basic structure down and the idea of coding through BBCoding, you could gradually make your way up to BBCode+ and divs! Plus, BBCode+ and div usually are "squished" together into a "class", "script", or a "div". For BBCode, each "code" has it's own separate "code" rather than placing it into one specific code like divs, class, or a script might.

I hope these tips are useful!

Are there any books or authors that have been influential to you?
Tolkien is one of my biggest inspiration by far. Despite his verbose text and complicated writing style that makes his works harder to read than most, the amount of research and lore that is put into his world absolutely baffles and excited me. Although I do not aspire to be on Tolkien's level, his world fascinates me and I will always look and admire him indefinitely. At the same time, he is one of the reasons I got into fantasy and my love for Elves.

Shakespeare is the second influential author to me because I love his works and he reminds me of my childhood only because I remember having to act out his many plays as well as attend one of his plays with my class. Not only had Shakespeare influenced my love for "period dramatics", but this also includes Edgar Allen Poe! They're just classics!

I have to admit the Twilight Saga was influential to me because I got into supernaturals because of the books and I was beyond happy that I stumbled upon them. I wouldn't have been so immersed into reading and finding my love for other genres such as fantasy, supernatural, etc. aside from romance and mystery if it wasn't for Stephenie Meyer's saga.

Lastly, my favorite books are And Then There Were None and Daughter of Smoke and Bones and they influenced me to write my first stories before I started roleplaying.

Is there a book/show/movie that you’ve been excited about recently?
Yes! Yes! I am so looking forward to watching The Greatest Showman! Everyone has been raving to me about the movie and have told me that I would absolutely love the movie! however, they also warned me that I should bring tissues as well! Oh goodness, I'm definitely an emotional soul. At the same time, I had just recently watched Jumanji and let's just say . . I was in for a huge surprise! I absolutely loved loved loved what they did with this sequel! Coming from a young women who has watched the original Jumanji, I was blown away! Absolutely recommend to see!

Although I haven't been reading much lately aside from biology text books pertaining to my major, I am planning on getting back into reading! I may even just visit Barnes and Nobles soon! I am an old soul who likes feeling the pages on my fingertips rather than on a nook or a kindle! I actually have a whole collection of series and other books that I read that I consider my "children".

Got any RpNation projects? Tell us about them!
I am currently still debating if I should still do these two projects or not since it depends on my schedule!

- The first project is something I've been working on since Christmas break and it's a roleplay that has a little inspiration taken from criminal tv series, Divergent, Hunger Games, and Maze Runner. The title of my Realistic/Modern roleplay is called "The Kindred Succession". Because I want this roleplay to be sort of a "comeback" roleplay for players who have been semi-hiatus for a while and want to get their feet wet again, the roleplay is semi-casual and the process to join the roleplay is a little bit different. But, regardless of the different style of process, it's a system that I believe would help the players quickly get into roleplaying so that the roleplay wouldn't fade away during the character making stages or so that the interest is still being engaged than waiting for weeks. Below this paragraph, there will be a "vague" synopsis of the roleplay "The Kindred Succession" and credit goes to my friend Nick who helped me put into words the idea I have in mind in his own words.



I hope this could give sort of a "preview" of the roleplay that I am creating!

- The second project is something more simple and it's a BBCode thread or another discussion form! Although I do have two BBCode threads, they were under my previous username "crucialstar" and since I had a name change I was thinking of creating another BBCode thread, plus with the BBCode+ that came to be, it would be a good challenge to find inspiration to make codes once again!

Is there any wisdom you’d like to impart to the readers of the newsletter?
Wisdom . . . wisdom . . Hmmmm. . . . Ah, there is one thing that I would like to impart to the readers.

Don't be afraid to be yourself. Loaded phrase, isn't it? I understand. I truly do. In a world where you're expected to act a certain way and do something a certain way, I challenge you to stop and smell the flowers, to take a moment of your day to just meditate or take a deep breath to just look into yourself. When was it the last time you smiled? When was it the last time you laughed? And I mean genuinely smiling and laughing. When was it the last time you truly let yourself loose? It is okay to still be a kid at heart, no matter your age. It is okay to believe in miracles and believe in fairy tales. I know that we have all grown up, maybe some are more genuine than others, maybe some are more jaded than others, whatever the case me be. Just don't forget to sometimes be a kid. It's hard especially when there's so many responsibilities on your shoulder no matter if you're a working adult or in highschool. Just remember to breathe and everything will be okay. You will be okay.

Roleplay of the Month
Give everyone a quick summary about what Heirs is about.
The role-play is about an universe that has four planets with living being in its stellar system. The role-play itself starts out with the home planet of the humans. You could call it Earth but it isn’t the Earth that we know.
The human planet is in disarray because the ruler - the High King - has died. The only people who can take over the ruling power to balance the human planet and to safe it from the destroying power of ‘corruption', are humans with a special quality - namely the black blood that they possess. We call these people Heirs.
Sadly, even after numerous tries of ascension no new monarch has been able to take over the ruling power of the planet. The role-play, as it is now, is about either helping restore the balance of ‘Earth’ or for characters to follow their own interest, like the other species, and in the process take over Earth or kill it.

We are still open and looking for people to join us!

What are some of the things that inspired you to create this roleplay?
One of the things was definitely my love for horror but I’ve also always liked extensive role-plays with a lot of plot but also with a lot of freedom to go and do whatever you want with your character. Furthermore I really like breaking stereotypes, this role-play was therefore completely based on the idea of betrayal at every corner and plot-twists.

What has made your roleplay successful?
I wouldn’t say that the role-play is really successful at the moment. In all honesty we are still busy shaping and making it. Thankfully, a lot of the plot is already worked out and we have planned really far ahead for specific plot related things while still keeping the options for change and freedom as the characters interact.
Sadly, a lot of people who joined and promised to take on specific roles have either gone mia or dropped out. It is really sad but I’m certain that this role-play won’t die that easily. I can’t go without thanking the people that did stick by all this time.
So my honest answer is that the people make or break a role-play; in this case the people and their input have made this role-play successful. Thank you for that!

What do you believe are your strengths as a GM?
Definitely my will to listen to ideas of other participants and to incorporate them into the plot. Any character can get a spotlight and become a main character in my role-plays.
Can’t miss out at saying that my fantasy is unlimited. I get plot and development ideas nearly every hour.

How about weaknesses?
I’m a lenient and patient GM but I have certain limits and boundaries. If those boundaries are overstepped it could turn ugly...

How do you garner interest for your roleplays?
I did an interest check and got a lot of positive replies for the RP.
I do have to admit that probably 75% dropped in the end but spamming some of them helped ... Otherwise I definitely think that the discord server helped. Getting to know people is always a good thing, they will be more likely to join your other role-plays! Another thing is being active in role-plays by yourself. I’m guilty of not being too active ...

How did you come about roleplaying?
This is a very long story. I first got into roleplaying when I was 14 on Mangafox forums. I don’t really remember how or why I ended up there in the first place but it didn’t last long. I joined a few role-plays and made my own called ‘Hollow Saint’ then when that role-play died, I left. I think I returned a couple of years later and stayed for a long time.

How did you discover RpNation?
Sadly, Mangafox forums closed down at the end of 2017. I didn’t know and didn’t even have time to save all my work! But yeah, roleplaying never left my interest. I lost almost all my role-play partners from back then but the nostalgia of role-playing never left me. I always come back to roleplaying. I think I just randomly googled roleplay site and found RpNation. I’ve tried Iwaku before so RpNation was like a brand new start for me.

What is the most unique roleplay you ever participated in?
I’ve been in a lot of unique role-plays and made a lot of those myself too. Although I must say my favourite was one called 'Eternal Loss'. This roleplay will always hold a special place in my heart. This is one of the little role-plays that was actually finished and which had 3 remakes and sequels.

What stood out most?
Definitely the people. Like I said before, people make or break a roleplay. This roleplay had around 20 solid participants. Participation and replies are very important in any roleplay, in my opinion. Also the setting of a roleplay and the mood players create is important Eternal loss could be fun and games but it could also be serious and painful. We really got attached to the characters of that roleplay.

What is your fondest memory of roleplaying?
I’ve met a lot of good friends through roleplaying. Some stayed, others went away. We had good and bad times. But I will never forget the fun times we had together! The role-plays that I did manage to save I always read with fondness.

What are some roleplaying tips and tricks you think others could benefit from?
I would definitely say: Keep trying, keep roleplaying and most importantly don’t give up. Your grammar will get better, your ideas for interaction will grow. Interaction is key in any roleplay, don’t be afraid to talk to people.
On the other hand I also really want to give a shoutout to character creation. Please, don’t only make Mary and Gary sues! Make characters with flaws, psychological problems, insecurities etc. Unique characters will make any roleplay more fun and it will give you experience in writing something other than mister or misses perfect. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and most of all please don’t take anything seriously. It is your character getting offended, not you.

Do you have any roleplaying pet peeves? If so, what are they?
I would definitely say Mary and Gary Sues. But also unnecessarily long posts about nothing in particular (we know that the sky is blue, thank you).

Do you have any other projects in the works that you would like to share?
I always have like 10000 projects in the back of my head... But right now I kind of want to focus on getting Heirs moving. I’m not dropping this roleplay until we get to arc 27. After that ... I might make another roleplay ... or five ; )

Featured Artist
champagne & sunshine | ART DUMP is a wonderful thread by user PJ-Flash displaying a beautiful array of stylized headshots, lineups, and waist-up portraits of various interesting characters smock on patterned pastel backgrounds. EAGERATI. does an amazing job of stylization, creating pop color pieces that are bursting with character and positivity. Take a look!

Featured Tutorial
Amerikia1126 has kindly created a tutorial covering a section of the new BBCode+; classes. If you are interested in branching out into BBCode+ but are unsure where to start, check out A Beginner's Guide To Classes. The tutorial breaks down classes into the concept, applications, and why classes should be used.

Featured Discussion
Ridge has created a discussion - Experiences - Character ages in roleplay - regarding character ages in roleplays, curious about why player's choose to roleplay with certain aged characters, bringing up a point of limitations that come with character age and how it would affect them.