RpNation Monthly: April 2016

RpNation

I didn't want to go swimming anyway, baka!
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APRIL 2016
Actually, we all just kind of decided not to do a Newsletter this month. It was too much effort, you know? We had more important things to do - like video games and roleplaying. And besides, it's not like this site is full of amazing people that we really love to recognize. So really we're just writing this to say, na na na na boo boo!

April Fools, of course! And without further ado, the Newsletter, which we actually did write after all.











Site Updates & Notable Events



  • This month has been a very busy and exciting one for RPNation, featuring a teaser of 'The Nyte Life,' a new dark, sleek & optional style for the site along with its progress which can be viewed here.
  • The Dark Wizard reminded us that we can still in fact ignore users so that we will not be able to view their posts. This can be viewed here.
  • A more exciting feature that was implemented to the site during the middle of March were new ratings! Users have been swooning over the new hype cookie and 'aww' options!
  • The staff updated the way warnings work on the site, removing moderation status as it was too complicated to handle.
  • A fluid theme option as well as large/small avatar theme options were added to the site for users who prefer a more open feel!
  • On March 8th, the site reached 5 million posts. This announcement can be seen here.








This Month's Donation Badge
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For all users who donated in March a lovely March Hare badge has been awarded, designed by our @Ghost-liest moderator. We hope you're looking forward to the unveiling of the April badge!




Helper Application Reminder If you're wanting to help out in the community, a helper application may be just the thing to get that ball rolling. Helpers assist around the site, posting in introductions, answering questions, writing for the newsletter, and many other things, depending on their role. Currently we have four types of helper - general helpers, BBCode helpers, Newsletter helpers, and contest helpers. Apply to be a helper here.






This Month's BBcode Tip Today I'd like to talk to you about margins. Have you ever noticed that text that's not enclosed in borders, fieldsets, columns, or anything else of the sort always seems to take up more space and look messy next to text that is? That's because of margins. Margins are the blank space on either side of a body of text. Most BBCode makes those margins bigger.


Example
Column Text
Column Text


Normal Text



You can use the centerblock BBCode to even things out and make everything uniform by increasing margins on regular text! For example, if you want your text to line up with text in columns, you can just set the centerblock to 98%. In fact, 98 is the magic number for almost all of the BBCodes. Occasionally 97 or 99 are better - it just requires practice and experimentation to figure out.


Example
Column Text
Column Text


Text.
Here's how I did it.


Code:
[row][column=span4]Column Text[/column][column=span4]Column Text[/column][/row]
[centerblock=98]Normal Text[/centerblock]




Hopefully this helps you in your quest for aesthetic perfection!






Features

Wow! I'm eternally impressed by all the content that the denizens of RPN put out that isn't roleplaying. One of the great things about RPN is how much opportunity it gives for depth of community and of character. Yeah, obviously we all like to roleplay, but there's so much more to us - and there's so much more to RPN, as well! Here are some highlights from some of the most interesting corners of the RP Nation.





Featured Prose/Poetry

@Lilah Tunth's poetry has been very interesting not only to me but other users of RPN, which can be viewed in its' thread here. It flows nicely and also describes the story in a compact way, giving senses of shock and fear to the reader as their eyes progress down the page. The poetry gives off a moody and gory vibe, too, and to complement this feature Lilah has used rhetorical questions in the end paragraphs of her piece which not only shows she is a talented writer but is also very capable of pleasing the reader if she were to write more in this style!



But do not pity


This has long begun.



Shadows around me,



Swirled and spun



You think:



What caused this?



Such distress?



Well to be honest...



I brought this on, upon myself.



Featured Art/Artist



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This month's featured artist is @BIue. Her designs are striking and contrast light and dark perfectly. Every piece is detailed and she really brings her ideas to life. Blue is able to add a story to her paintings and inputs character in each masterpiece. She tells a tale that sets your imagination going wild. This piece, which even features text, creates a whole universe behind the drawing. With the blue sparks and the digital glitching, you get a real sense that the character portrayed is real. Her work is both gorgeous and imaginative.


To see more of her art: Digital - Nellie's Art!






Featured Character

The featured character this month is Rin Masatora. Also known as “Crouching Tiger”, Rin is a cat-human hybrid due to the fact that she ate the Cat-Cat Devil Fruit. She is an original character created to exist within the universe of One Piece by @shadowdude505 . Rin is accompanied by the honor of a marital artist along with the shadow of rage so out of control it boarders and competes with bloodlust itself. Her rage is what initially brought her hybrid form into known existence in the first place; her father confronted her and the outburst she unleashed was beyond her control. After spending years training with monks, Rin has ventured out during the Great Pirate Era seeking a crew that will take her in.



Featured Discussion

Everyone has that fandom that they completely fall in love with, can’t stop talking about, and continue to celebrate even after the dreaded ending - if the ending ever comes. Well, I hope everyone does and if not, I apologize for making assumptions. Anyway, one of the first fandoms I think a lot of people came to fall in love with, myself included, is Harry Potter. And @Error made a discussion designed specifically for people to discuss all their favorites in regard to it. He does a great job of providing some structure to start off the conversation and everyone’s thoughts are laid out. It’s a really fun thing to even just read through. I found that it helped me rediscover my love of the fandom and it’s always nice to discuss your passions.


Wanna check it out? Let’s Talk Harry Potter!






Roleplay of the Month

Speaking personally for a moment, I'm pretty excited about this one as it uses a setting and system I am very fond of and also because it is the first Hosted Project we have ever featured. Featuring a blend of action and adventure, libraries, hellspawn social maneuvering, murder, strange things getting stuck in strange places, cover ups, rock-em-sock-em-robots-fantasy-edition, and interesting times, it certainly deserves a day in the limelight. Let's not make you wait much longer...





Tales of the Chroniclers

And now some words from the GM,

@Silvertongued:​



Q: What are some of the things that inspired or influenced Tales of the Chroniclers?


A: In truth it was because @Grey wanted to play a game in his own system, and not be forever GM in it. So, I decided to do a mystery styled game, hopefully with moments of "Oooooh, okay, that's what it was". In terms of actual inspirational material, I'd say Big O because I'm a total weeb like that.


Q: How did you come about roleplaying? How did you discover RPN?


A: Weirdly enough, because of Grey again. I promise he won't be my answer for the majority of these questions. But yeah, I met him through a shared... I hesitate to use the word acquaintance, but yeah... and we wound up playing some of the first trial runs of Crucible: Dark Age. A bunch of us had long gaming marathons at this acquaintances house, and it was good fun. As for the RPN question, again, Grey. He transferred his online RPs from another site to here, and I wound up following eventually.


Q: What is the most important thing to have in a roleplay?


A: Player participation. If people aren't having fun, if they're not invested, or if they're just going through the motions, it's not gonna be a good game, or even a long one.


Q: What was the first roleplay you remember participating in? Were there any highlights or lowlights that stood out to you?


A: Oh man, the first one I can remember was... jesus, it was about fifteen or so years ago now, 3.5 edition Dungeons and Dragons with a bunch of local friends. I was playing a scarred Beguiler who wore a bird mask, and... it didn't get off the ground really. We didn't have any d6s, so the GM had us roll a d12s, only we had to do some weird math to get the end result. Wound up devolving into a huge fight because people didn't understand why we didn't just divide by 2 when it was easier, and he wound up getting angry to the point of tears trying to explain it was because of the bellcurve of the results... Yeah, it kinda exploded and we never played again.


That said, the first genuine roleplay we had was the one I mentioned with Grey. A bunch of random people playing one of his first convention styled scenarios. We were a mixed medley of Imerian Vampire Fledglings looking for a book for our boss. Of course, as does any game where you play as a bunch of human predators with a bunch of randoms, there was a good deal of homicide and homoerotic jokes, leading to the catchphrase of the evening "What do we do with the bodies? Down the manhole! What do we do with Grey? Up the manhole!". Evening only got weirder after that. Good time though.


Q: What are your strengths, when it comes to GMing?


A: Well, online, I'd like to think it's just the fastidious amounts of detail I put into the surroundings, as well as trying to make the experience interesting for all the players involved. That and being pretty good at improvising.


Q: How about weaknesses?


A: Probably the fact that if I lose steam, it's hard to work up again into posts, which can really bog down a game.
Q: What is it that has made Tales of the Chroniclers successful?


A: Honestly? I genuinely have no idea. It's stuck around for what? Two years now? and we're still not quite out of the prologue. But we're trying.


Q: What are some tips and tricks you think others should keep in mind while role-playing?


A: Try not to metagame. If you know that it's a trap OOC, but your character doesn't, if it's in character, spring the trap anyway. Sometimes failure is more exciting and interesting than success.


That and be aware of other players. Try to work with them, and the GM. If you're playing a social styled game, try not to play the brooding loner who doesn't leave their apartment. I mean, if you can make t work, go for it, but don't force them into a story where they clearly will not work.


Q: Do you have any roleplaying pet peeves? What are they?


A: Personally, it's a small list, but a lot of it comes down to legibility. If I can't read your post, if everything is mispelled with poor punctuation, if it's thick and dense like you're regurgitating a thesarus, if it's so Purple that Prince is considering wearing it, then I'm gonna lose interest and skim it. That and people who directly ignore the turn of events and metagame.


Q: What's your worst memory of roleplaying?


A: Uh... Well, it had to do with that aforementioned "acquaintance" of mine. I'll not go into what actually happened in game as we have young readers, but it was in IRL, and this person did something... well, rather grotesque in character, enough so that I literally got up and left. I came back after fifteen or so minutes, and the GM had cleared it all up, but it was still just plain nasty.


Q: What's your fondest memory of roleplaying?


A: A nice crowning moment of awesome when a character of mine, a dead man brought back as a soul sucking, foul mouthed, alcoholic, pyromaniac revenant, met up with his former bosses in life. Since he was a member of a warrior priest cult that worshipped Vampires, it went rather interestingly. Since it was a meatspace game, I got to act convincingly in character, complete with screaming and swearing.


That and playing a manipulator character whose little grand plans all came together. That was fun.


Q: Well, congratulations once more. For my final question: How do you garner interest for your roleplays?


A: I just write down what I think might be interesting. Worked for the last one, which is MGPD, a buddy cop magical girl game.


Q: April Fools! My real final question: What plans do you have for your next roleplay? Mind giving us a teaser?


A: I've nothing particularly planned at the moment, though I have always wanted to do a Fate/Stay Night game using Exalted 3rd edition, done over a combination of PMs and the like. Really nail home the whole PvP aspect, so that everyone has no idea who they're up against, or even if they're up against another player.





Interview conducted by

@Anomaly.






Member of the Month

This user is always around to make new members feel welcome and picks up conversations like magnets pick up paperclips. We're very proud of their friendly demeanor. After all, it's just not a party without a little confetti.




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@Kestrel
And now some words from the MotM:




Q: How long have you been writing/roleplaying?


A: I've been writing more as a hobby since about 6th or 7th grade. I saw Lord of the Rings, and thought the elves were cool, so I created a wood elf character, and wrote about her adventures.


I've been actually role-playing since May of last year. My best friend from real life thought I might enjoy it, so we started a roleplay over email. It's still alive, because we pester each other about replying when one of us hasn't responded for several days. I ended up loving roleplaying, so he sent me a link to RpN in August.


Q: Do you have any other hobbies beside rolelaying?


A: Yup. I'm still in high school, so I'm in FFA on the Vet Science team, and I'm an alto in choir. I like shooting, both guns and bows. When I have free time I like playing video games like Skyrim and Dragon Age. I really love animals, and spend a lot time with my parrot, Jade, and my sugar gliders, Vex and Astrid. Besides stories, I like writing poetry and songs.


Q: What is your favourite book/tv series/movie?


A: Favorite book? Singular, as in just one book? Either Harry Potter, Divergent, Percy Jackson, or Hunger Games. I grew up reading Harry Potter. I've related to Katniss and Tris from Hunger Games and Divergent. Percy Jackson was always an amazing blend of mythology and modern life. The only TV series I regularly watch is Walking Dead, but I love almost anything on National Geographic. My favorite movie is either Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings. So many decisions!


Q: Would you rather go without books or movies for the rest of your life?


A: Movies, definitely. I would go insane without my books.
Q: What is your favourite colour and why?


A: Forest green. I don't know why exactly. I guess it reminds me of forests, and I love the outdoors. I also like some bright colors, such as yellow and orange. My last bird was a parrot named Sunny, and he was bright yellow, orange, green and blue. Those colors remind me of him.


Q: What is your favourite genre of roleplaying?


A: It has to be Fantasy, no contest. It's always had the most potential for me. I love Medieval and Modern Fantasy most.


Q: What inspires you to roleplay?


A: I love writing, and roleplaying has been a great way to do that. I've also made a lot of friends here at RpN. Sometimes roleplaying can be a good escape from reality.


Q: Do you have a favourite singer/band/musician?


A: I have pretty varied taste in music, but I like the bands Ashes Remain and Red. I also like Angel with a Shotgun by The Cab. Other artists and bands I like are Christina Grimmie, Fall Out Boy, Maddie & Tae, RaeLynn, and Kelsea Ballerini.


Q: What advice do you have for the readers of this month's newsletter?


A: Don't take advice from me? In all seriousness, when it comes to roleplaying, don't be afraid to branch out and try new genres and styles. Roleplays tend to die a lot, too. Don't sweat it, just go join or start new ones. Advice for life outside of RpN, here are several quotes of my favorite quotes that I've found online. It's been sound advice for me:


-Never judge a person by the opinion of another.


-Talk to someone before you talk about them


-Little victories lead to bigger victories that affect battles which win wars.


-Fear has two meanings: Forget Everything And Run or Face Everything And Rise. The choice is yours.





Interview conducted by

@SpectroVector.






Closing Thoughts

Well, another month gone by and another newsletter to post. It’s great to see the continued love and support of roleplaying that everyone on this site seems to have and it’s amazing to feature so many wonderful people and so much wonderful content. There’s plenty of fun, new and exciting things on the way, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds. I hope everyone had a fantastic Easter holiday and I hope this newsletter finds you on an amusing April Fool’s Day!





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Last edited by a moderator:
It really is an honor to be a part of such an amazing roleplaying community. Thank you to everyone here, especially the staff and admin. Oh, and before I leave...*throws handfuls of confetti in the air*
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Good job everyone who helped out with the newsletter and congrats to all mentioned!!
 
Kestrel said:
It really is an honor to be a part of such an amazing roleplaying community. Thank you to everyone here, especially the staff and admin. Oh, and before I leave...*throws handfuls of confetti in the air*
I never met you before, but you seem like a really good member of rpn, haha. Honer to make your acquaintance!
 
ShadowWalker254 said:
I never met you before, but you seem like a really good member of rpn, haha. Honer to make your acquaintance!
The honor's all mine. Even though you're new, I'm sure you'll be a great addition to RpNation. How do you like it so far?
 
Kestrel said:
The honor's all mine. Even though you're new, I'm sure you'll be a great addition to RpNation. How do you like it so far?
Rather wonderful community, and the site itself has an peaceful atmosphere to it!


Also, I rather like helping people, it makes me happy in doing so!
 
ShadowWalker254 said:
Rather wonderful community, and the site itself has an peaceful atmosphere to it!
Also, I rather like helping people, it makes me happy in doing so!
See helping people is fun!
 
*Throaty breath* I do enjoy these Newsletters you provide to us, RPNation. Make more, yes? :3 Perhaps one of these days, Variks will be featured...or not, whatever the case, I have fun. :)

Kestrel said:
It really is an honor to be a part of such an amazing roleplaying community. Thank you to everyone here, especially the staff and admin. Oh, and before I leave...*throws handfuls of confetti in the air*
I like you. X3 There is much honour in this community, yes?


And your confetti...it is a blessing. xD
 

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