Hello everyone. All the personal stuff you wouldn't care for aside, I am a professional RPG game designer, and more importantly - a foreverDM who had decided to embrace their foreverDMness mixed with profession, and just roll with it, telling stories for other people, and seeing their characters grow and develop. This is what this ad is entirely about, and I am sorry that it's a little chaotic and including almost any possible scenario around. I realise it might make some people lost a bit, but I hope we'll get through it together.
What I mean by that foreverDMness I am trying to embrace - for those of you unfamiliar with the term, or just confused about how it'll work in ERPGs - is that usually you play with another person's character, and somehow you both build the world, side-characters, and "NPCs" around, but the focus is on you two characters. In this case, yours is the protagonist of the story, and I'll be doing the storytelling. That doesn't mean you won't meet other characters, and that you won't be able take them as your companions in adventure, or friends for life. See it like Mass Effect, or Dragon Age: you're the commander, grey warden, champion, or inquisitor. I'm the world around and people that inhabit it; and this will be your story.
Right off the bat: I am not familiar with any cartoon, anime, or Marvel film fandoms at all, and not very interested in DMing fandoms overall, though exceptions might apply (Fallout, D&D, Lovecraft Mythos, etc.). My main focus is on original universes that might or might not be inspired (but not traced entirely) from the existing ones.
If you're at least somewhat interested, please, read on. I'd love to meet new people with cool characters, and write awesome stories with.
- ...are interested in a story told for you. That's the main thing. I wouldn't want to become a ERP analogue of one-night stand based on another person's boredom, so, please, don't just approach because you've got nothing better to do.
...are responsive. Communication is the key. Something goes wrong, something bothers you, you'd like to change something in the game - please, tell me right away and don't be shy. This should be enjoyable for the both of us.
...are responsible. All too often people leave RPs because they have exams, or the work started - as if it's Force Majeure and they didn't expect that to happen. Like this never happened before. If you feel like now or in the nearest future you won't be able to continue on with the game, it's better not to start at all, so we both won't be left disappointed. This doesn't mean, however, "only 18+" - I do not care for your age if you're a good person, and if you can successfully juggle your school/work/personal life and ERP, it's all good.
...play something beyond clichés. Seriously, gloomy fifteen-year-old boys wielding katanas, and bimbo-looking smart girls everyone underestimates are long not as interesting as many think.
...play bright characters. To the addition towards a point above, I don't mean I'd like you to play an everyday man. Cool, bright, unique characters people would love to grow empathic for or hate with their entire soul are the best imo.
...interested in playing something beyond slice of life and romance. In the world of infinite possibilities choosing the genres you experience in reality seems to be a waste, honestly.
...use anything else than anime or other overly simplified styles for references. I'd like to picture characters as real people, you know? Doesn't have to be photos - just anything with discernible features.
- ...am approachable. Spam me with memes and stories from your school/work, I'm all ears. I would love to talk about what we're playing, your ideas and suggestions, any feedback - good or bad - you might provide; as well as shit on your boss for being an asshole (unless you're the boss - then your workers are assholes).
...love characters. Tell me all about them, seriously. I cherish your babies almost as much as you do, so be prepared for random questions varying from "how does their voice sound like?" to "what if they come into their hotel room and find a man-sized octopus on their bed?".
...am cool with human, humanoid, furry, or monster characters. Not very cool with animals, but might look into it.
...might be a bit difficult at first. I was advised to mention Asperger's just in case. I think I'm an ordinary, functioning person that just happens to sometimes miss out on social cues, but who of us doesn't from time to time? I eagerly take criticism in this regard.
...like challenges. Both giving and getting them. Complex characters that surprise me and duel my skill in improvisation, as well as throwing them into situations they aren't prepared for.
...willing to derail the plot for character growths and their own shenanigans and ideas. Sometimes it's a bad thing.
...loathe overly complicated sheet/post designs. At the moment I'm writing this I neither made nor picked the one I'll be using for this ad, so I might be shooting myself in the leg, but I will totally silently judge you if instead of reading a post I'll be digging through images and colours. Also, has to do with overly sensitive eyesight.
- First and second person games are absolutely valid, but the way I play is third person, past tense. Like in most of the books you can read. "He saw" and "She said" kind of thing. I tried mixing things up, and going into games where someone used other tenses, but it only ended in frustration for the both of us, I'm afraid.
My preference is for playing via forums, although I can be convinced to play on Discord or try google docs. Discord (primarily) and PMs (secondary) can be used for communication, offtopic, and alike. I'm not on RPN 24/7, but close to that in Discord, so that is always a better way to reach out. I don't own Telegram or... that other thing that's common nowadays, and given how many IMs I already have installed for work, I doubt I ever will get those. Sorry for that.
Depending on how well we click, you can expect a post every other day, or multiple posts a day. I highly prefer to at least get one daily to keep up the pace and not lose interest, but you can expect mirroring of your own speed, as well as mirroring your length. That said, no length requirements for me, I know they can vary from three-page tirades to short fire-backs between characters.
While I appreciate comments to my threads as much as any other person, I am an idiot who forgets to check on their ads. So for those who have any interest or ideas, please, do write to my Discord (it's in my profile, safe and secure) or into PMs instead, and add as much info as you can, your own ideas, etc. Walls of text that describe what you want, what's your inspiration, peppered with ideas and even tag words are so very, very appreciated.
Right off the bat: I don't have overly detailed ready plots like so many people on RPN do. That might be a bad thing from your perspective, but hear me out. Thing is, I have vague ideas, inspirations, universes ready, but I would like for us together to put your character into this world, and come up with a suitable plotline. Of course, I have adventures and shenanigans in my head, but I'd like to tailor the main plot around your character, and then add those as side activities. Almost all of my plots have some mystery subtext, some detective investigation, though some more than others, and at times you might not even notice.
Also, I do not include any romantic or slice of life plots, as I frankly find them boring, and as a result - suck at them. I am, however, very much okay with slice of life and romantic sub-plots and other activities. As in if you'd like in the middle of dragon hunting woo your hot smelly wild orc companion - you have a shot at it, boo. Similarly, an interlude on some beach when you take a rest from alien politics, and just chill with a glass of Pina Colada is quite okay in my book. I just wouldn't want to make it a sole focus of the RP. That said, I don't mind any characters and pairings, and would support MxF, MxM, or FxF action with ease. We don't judge here.
As a finale note, this is not what I only want to narrate for you - just a list of things that I am inspired by at this very moment. But that means there are things that inspire me that I don't know anything about just yet. So if you're interested in a story-driven game, and your desire doesn't fit anything from the list, feel free to write me a message anyway telling about it; as well as keep in mind that I mind not any collaborative works in terms of worldbuilding.
One of my all-time favourite genre, and I am all for using the existing universes like Fallout or Metro for those (albeit I have never played Metro - only read it, so my knowledge in the game world will be lacking), or coming up with our own. Nuclear wastelands are a classic, but I do love the idea of overgrown, toxic "nature won" alike post-apocs. Mutants, machines, alien invaders left behind, maybe some zombies, a lot of grunge and survival.
I didn't use "urban fantasy" because of the implications. Underground societies of vampires, and vampire hunters, and mages that club each day every day is all fun and dandy, I'll give you that, however what I mean is "high fantasy, but in modern day", where you live in LA, and all of your neighbours are elven fashionistas, and the bartender at your favourite joint is a huge dumb troll, and Apple was bought by an old lazy dragon for shits and giggles who uses the products to make her bed instead of using gold. The way modern tech will interact with magic, and how our world would host dozens of intelligent species around.
One of the universes I came up around half a year ago takes place in a grittier parallel universe or maybe another planet, with inhabitants being born to having some supernatural powers. While fantasy at its core, this place was connected to Earth, and the inhabitants spy on it enough to have the same levels of technologies as we do. It's a rough, cast-based world, filled with gruesome executions, excessive cruelty, slavery, racial segregation, and assassinations.
Has nothing to do with the current pandemic - I have always enjoyed survival lockdown scenarios, limiting people's human interaction, food, water, making them go low, resort to questionable or unacceptable actions to survive. Whether it's the modern world, historic AU, or pure futurism is up for debate.
Not the "I'm a sexy sensual lady" kind of thing, mind you. The evil, monstrous type more like. Perhaps set in some bronze age fantasy world, or antique world, or industrial revolution even - it all varies, but I'd like to play out a scenario where a bloodsucking monster is what it sounds like: a bloodsucking monster.
World of Darkness is included in this one, by the way.
It might've been already noticeable beforehand, but I like characters that aren't just a goody-two-shoes. Dubious morals are great, but if you ever wanted to play as a villain, a tyrant - I'm here for you. Whether serving the dark lord, or building your empire with ruthlessness - I have always wanted a game about a fantasy Hitler. Might as well make one.
Being possessed by a demon or a spirit, making a deal with the devil... anything inspired by classical psychological horrors like "The Exorcist" or "Angel Heart". A human fighting an unknown, otherworldly entity, and losing their mind.
I also DM a metric shitton of D&D and can make something like that for you too.
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