RpNation
I didn't want to go swimming anyway, baka!
August Newsletter
With the school year for a large portion of us back in full swing, and others of us just seeming like we never get a break, just take a step back, breath, and take a second to really reflect and... read this newsletter? Regardless, enjoy! ~
StoneWolf18
Housekeeping Announcements
- Hosted Projects are back! You can learn more about them here.
- Our latest site-wide challenge, The Palette Challenge has concluded. A big thanks to all who participated!
- Dice rolls are available again within the roleplay areas of the site.
Read more here.
- Usernames no longer permit specialized characters.
Read more here.
- The DIV BBCode tag was updated to prevent HTTPS lock breaks.
Read more here.
- Personal roleplay preferences were implemented to help find others with similar roleplay preferences.
Read more here.
Many thanks to
StoneWolf18
!
StoneWolf18
!Member of the Month
This month's 'member of the month' is T Tove . She's been spotted in the wilds of RpNation assisting other member's as well as welcoming new users who join us.
When did you start roleplaying? What were your early experiences like?
A while ago I think it was on a friend's site. I knew back then I loved to roleplay with other people, we both would bring in our characters to create some kind of story. I was just terrible at it. Characters, plot, grammar. It was a huge mess. I never thought about ideas or plot twists even character development it was more about nothing too serious just fun. It didn't matter whether my character had a broken sword in one scene and the next it was fully intact. I can laugh about it now, but I guess I had to start somewhere.
Q: How did you discover RpNation?
Searching google for roleplay sites. It brought me here. I liked the fact it was very active and I had been welcomed from the start.
What features would be in your ideal roleplay? Do you have a favorite genre?
Let's see I'm big on plot twists. I would say plot twists. But, I would love to see a genre plot twist. For example, it starts off in a simple slice of life setting with a plot but BAM it takes a turn to a supernatural twist like a main character's body has been occupied all the time by a ghost. Something like that would impress me. I would also like to see a real test of loyalty and friendship or moral dilemma.
Can I have more than one favorite? If yes, these are my favorites.
Fantasy
Futuristic Fantasy
Modern
Modern Fantasy
Medieval
Medieval Fantasy
Romance as a side plot.
Science Fiction
Supernatural
What are some other hobbies you have besides roleplaying?
Actual writing on the side, roleplaying helps me with this. Well before I roleplayed, I wrote stories. I have many around my place I hope I can rework for publication purposes someday.
Nothing new, but I'm an avid video gamer and music collector the music can be just about anything as long as it can tell me a story and help me write.
What is your favorite season?
bThe start of fall, I love love love it! I like it right around the time I can smell the change if that makes sense. The temperatures will change depending on where you live at. For me it gets very hot so I'll notice when I'm outside. Also, I'll start to see the stores putting out their fall merchandise.
If you were a type of weather, what type of weather would you be?
A brisk type of weather. Cool, calm, and relaxing.
Are there any books or authors that have been influential to you?
Philippa Carr. Women still have voices and are strong even if they don't wield a sword.
J.R.R Tolkien. You can create any kind of world you want. No one can tell you different or that you can't because your imagination is only limited if you allow it to be.
Haruki Murakami. Character thoughts make a character come alive.
Is there a book/show/movie that you’ve been excited about recently?
Not really. I'm kind of in between shows, a lot of them, at the moment. I'm trying to finish the anime Gungrave before I get back to The Last Kingdom. I do want to see Kingsman: The Golden Circle though.
What type of animal are you the most like?
A cat. I can be mysterious at times and I'm observant of everything, I try to be.
Got any RpNation projects? Tell us about them!
A: Do roleplays count? If so, absolutely! I have a couple under my belt I'm focused on major mouth-open grab the popcorn it's going to be awesome plot twists which I have to take my time on. I have to make certain they make sense meaning to count all my ducks in a row. Aside from that I'm just chilling.
Is there any wisdom you’d like to impart to the readers of the newsletter?
Don't stress life is too short to worry about things you can't control. Just relax, try to have fun, and of course have BAMtastic day!
Roleplay of the Month
The roleplay featured for this month is a fun-filled quest game called You are a Space Marine... in Space! (With images) that was created by
Birdsie
. You can easily figure out what this roleplay is about just based on the title. The images created also provide some additional fun as you explore your role.What are some of the things that inspired you to create this roleplay?
First of all, the roleplay was my first Questing project ever. I've seen the whole thing somewhere else and thought the concept of multiple players choosing the fate of one protagonist was interesting. I combined the idea with a heavily modified take on the Warhammer 40,000 universe, laced it all with a lot parody, and there we were. I never thought it'd get Roleplay of the Month.
What has made your roleplay successful?
Definitely not the images. I suck at art. I actually gave up on them halfway through after the players agreed they weren't required. What made it "successful" was the willingness of the players to partake in the project. You can't have a roleplay without players.
What do you believe are your strengths as a GM?
Honestly, I don't know. Call me a man of low self-esteem, but the only real virtue I can speak of for myself is versatility. What you'll see in a large amount of my roleplays is tolerance. I'll tolerate a lot of characters. My settings tend to be very loose and open, with a lot of space for things that players want to invent, like new locations, or even species.
How about weaknesses?
Definitely the inability to keep things collected. I'm a pretty disorganized person. This translates into my roleplays too, unfortunately. I often make small mistakes. Forget to check the character sheet area, or forget to tag one player. This led to some of my roleplays dying out in the past and I do my best to avert such cruel ends.
How do you garner interest for your roleplays?
First of all, I always try to tag people I know that would be interested. I'm proud to say I've made friends here on RPNation and I even invited a few of my friends to join it with mixed results. Second of all, I always try to be concise when writing my interest checks. If I can't fit my premise to be under two paragraphs, I adjust it and split the whole thing into two parts, the former being an overview of the setting and plot, and the latter being a more advanced look at the whole thing.
How did you come about roleplaying?
I started out as a child. On the playground, me and the rest of my friends would undergo impromptu LARP sessions, but much more primitive. We didn't have swords or cardboard armor. We just gave into our imaginations. A few years back, I started playing Gmod and there, I discovered the HL2 Roleplay game-mode, which took to my liking.
How did you discover RpNation?
Not really much of a story. I was bored, and wanting to roleplay, I, quite literally googled: "roleplay forum." RPNation was the first thing to come up. One click later, my jaw dropped and I signed up.
What is the most unique roleplay you ever participated in?
Tough question. It really is. Although I rarely indulge in Futuristic roleplays, it would most likely be Moonstruck. If I recall, it was around a year ago that I found it on one of the forums. It caught my eye. The setting was an original, Star Wars-ish universe, where the characters were a group of hired mercenaries with a mission to steal a piece of art. My memory's a bit rusty, so you'll have to excuse me. Still, there were some pretty hilarious moments.
What stood out most?
That one time when one of the characters had a fight-scene in a temple on a foreign planet. The details are full of gore and unnecessary violence, so I think I'd rather not talk about it on a newsletter.
What is your fondest memory of roleplaying?
I have a lot of fond memories with roleplaying. It's a hobby, but it's also like an inseparable part of me. I'd say it was when I first joined a Gmod roleplay server, the name of which was "Sweet RP." I met a lot of new friends there, some of which I still have today. Another fond memory I have is the first Guild of Heroes roleplay that I was the GM of. I don't think there'll ever be an adventure quite as invigorating as that. Senor Fred was the best character I've seen in my life.
What are some roleplaying tips and tricks you think others could benefit from?
I'd say the most important thing is to communicate with the other players. An OOC tab exists for a reason. It's not just there to post memes or fancy talk. It's there to also discuss the roleplay and the future arcs. There is no sight that makes me happier than seeing an over-active OOC chat where players are constantly sharing ideas and possibilities for the future of the roleplay.
Also, although not as important: Let characters be weak, but let them be strong too. Not all men are made equal. Your roleplay needs strong and weak characters to balance things out. The strong characters, depending on circumstance, will become targets, and the weak ones will be forced to evolve and adapt in a non-synthetic way. That way, you can have a constant evolution of abilities and skills.
Do you have any roleplaying pet peeves?
Yes.
What are they?
Tiny fonts and one-liners.
Do you have something in mind for your next roleplay?
Perhaps.
Can we get a few hints?
Hmm. Let me say this: Dragons, wastelands, necromancers, and utter despair. A lot of grim darkness and regret.
Think: Dark Souls.
Congratulations
Birdsie
!
Birdsie
!Featured Recipe
Now... this one's a bit different because its technically not *one* recipe but a whole collection of them!
The featured thread is called Other - Cooking videos, except not what you think and I'm going to be honest and say, as some who watches those Tasty videos a bit too much,
this is a hilarious poke at them while also learning some very life essential recipes. Go check them out!
Congratulations
MagnoliaCottage
!
MagnoliaCottage
!Featured Music
Ending Thoughts
Rather than just adding some final thoughts for this newsletter, how about a fun riddle?You can see me in water, but I never get wet. What am I?
A reflection
deepness w/Sano