Newsletter RpNation Newsletter: October 2021


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You and your friends had decided to head out one afternoon to finally investigate rumors you heard of an old abandoned mansion in the woods.
According to the crude map the mansion would be an hour walk from the edge of the thick forest. It was only two in the afternoon so there was plenty of time before dark.

To pass the time you all start talking about what you may find there. One of your friends suggests it could be haunted and the conversation shifts to what even counts as haunted in the first place. What does it mean to haunt?.

Haunt in its most basic terms is for something to linger in a space, or for something to frequent often. Though we all know it's much more than that. It can be a feeling, one of unease, of anxiousness and hesitation. Something is there, it's ever present.
It has been.
It is.
It Will be.
What that "it" is... No one will ever truly know. It's possible what constitutes a haunt simply can't be understood by our minds, yet it still exists with us.

You can feel it now, can't you? The slow shiver buzzing across your skin. Goosebumps on your arms, your body trying to warn you of something you cannot hide from. Of something that you can never truly be aware of. The feeling of something applying pressure on the back of your neck, just under your skull.

Turn around.

Of course there's nothing there. You can't see. You can only feel the tapping thrumming wriggling fingers wrapping slowly around your sides, pressing into the space between your ribs, thumping on them. But of course. Once again. You can't hear anything. Nor can you touch. Haunting is only just that, a feeling of something persisting with you. Over you. Under you. Behind you. Beside you. In your room. Outside your window. It simply. Exists ever eternal.

Eventually you and your friends reach a clearing, seeing the large looming building under the dim light of a full moon. The wind had stopped screaming, the trees cease their whispers. The old mansion's creaking and groaning falls silent. Hushing itself. It's waited too long. So it settles, holding its breath with anticipation.

Haunting.

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✏️ Featured Character
Exercise your creative skills with each month's character prompt and submit them to our site-wide showcase here.​

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Let’s show off some of your musical tastes in the newsletter next month! You can also see what has been recommended in the past. Submit your music here!​






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Featured Writer
Poetry, one of the ways to express a story, message, or emotions in either a formatted or unformatted manner. In Our Lantern by @OmegaOS, this user did just that with a simple but rich poem featuring two characters and their relationship.
Featured Discussion
Most, if not all of us, made our way to Rpnation somehow, but the question of why do you rp can be as simple as a relaxation outlet to a constant exercise for writing. What is your reason to rp? Check out this thread to see why others rp!
Featured Artist
Remember those moments in cinemas or shows where they pan to the character during an impactful moment, well @Saturninum does a wonderful job of depicting it in their drawings! Not only do they have cool close-up portraits of characters, but this user also has a couple of cute, sleeping dragon icons! They are truly adorable.
Featured Coder
For this month, rather than feature one specific coder on RpN, we'd like to shout-out all of our amazing coders! Read more in our 'shout-out' section!
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RpNation is a nation of creation, built on an open and inclusive community. Since its inception, Staff has done an incredible job to provide a safe and expressive environment for the community. Because of this, it's allowed us the freedom to write and make wonderful memories with other artists within their guidelines.

We'd like to give a moment to shout-out and give words of appreciation to our incredible BBCoders on RpN! Without their time, effort, and dedication to their craft, we wouldn't be able to see amazing designs come to life! It's with our BBCoders that we can feel inspired!

Section from our avid BBCoders and their take for BBCodes:
weldherwings weldherwings said:​
"Well! My favourite thing about coding is that I’m able to have a visual to what I’m feeling or writing!! I feel like it helps to set the mood and convey the message I’m trying to bring across to others~! There is so much symbolism in media (movies, tv shows) and using code allows us to draw onto those mediums. For example, if I was doing a horror rp, the colours black and a harsh red would show someone, even before they read the story, that it would be dark and grumesome. While a code with pastel colours may imply something more soft!"​
(Check out their thread here!)

Anonymous user said:​
"I'd just like to say to take a deep breath, and if you can't figure it out to step away and come back to bbcoding later. It's easy to get caught up in wanting to finish the project, but slow and steady also wins the race."​

Section from members of our community and their appreciation for our BBCoders:
@Sign said:​
"A little shoutout to those close and far for my fellow BBcoders. Even the beginners I give you kudos because I can barely do the same thing that you do! Thanks for all that you do and learn for coding. You gotta respect that yourself because coding is very hard to do. You put your time, effort, and kindness to even share it with people like me and I appreciate each and every one of you. I'll see you around! :)"​

Anonymous user said:​
"I think every single of ye BBCoders are truly mighty people, even those of you who might only be starting out. I think it's a great skill to make really ornate textboxes or to create elaborate CS forms, and aspiring to get there is all quite inspiring! It's all so lovely to see, and I commend your hard work, the whole lot of ye! Be sure to keep plying away at it and that, for those of you who may be starting out, eventually, you'll get due recognition for the skill you've tempered away at.​

My thanks to all of you BBCoders for making RPN a more colourful, sleek and polished place to write stories with others. :closed eyes open smile:"​

Anonymous user said:​
"I don't know how y'all do it"​

Anonymous user said:​
"Thanks to all BBCoders! you really make my day seeing just how many possibilities there are to make anything look cool, just wanted to show my appreciation for all you do, have an amazing life!"​

"Thank you for all of your hard work! I really appreciate all the effort and thought you put into your coding!"​

deer deer said:​
"Our BBcode community has grown so much over the years. I'm so happy and proud of our community who's stepped forward! Seeing the kindness and appreciation for creating codes with and for each other has been amazing to watch grow! The talent, time, and effort you lovelies put into your work is so truly amazing. I'll always be thankful for your patience, consideration, and assistance through the years! I can't wait to see all of the wonderful designs you lovelies will continue to create!"​

TerrorKitty TerrorKitty said:​
"I love the BBcode community and all who make and distribute their hard work to the masses as well as those who make use of that work in their own creative and wonderful ways. BBcode creators are a huge part of what makes RPN so amazing and fun, as well as being a huge centerfold for all corners of the site to come together.

I remember working on a character for a Krp and noticing the audio player wasn't working and was able to figure out how to fix it after some digging and then able to give the fix to the creator. It made me feel like I was able to contribute even if in a very minor way. Ironically I was making the character for an RP with that very creator in it. Now we're friends ^^ and they even accepted my rather ambitious request for a specialty code for a 1 year RP anniversary in a time crunch.

Seriously I appreciate everyone who contributes their time, effort, souls, and sanity into the BBcode community. You're amazing and huge backbone of RPN as a whole. (P.S shoutout to the Krp community which makes up a sizable chunk of BBcode creators)​

Life. Life. said:​
"The art of roleplaying is enjoyed by many members here in the Rpn community, and its limits are shown to be endlessly with how BBCode can provide another perspective for writing. Thank you to all the current coders of Rpnation, from beginner to experts. It is an art form of its own and this means it can be difficult at times, yet it can be enjoyed by many others too! Thank you!"​

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When did you start roleplaying? Where was it? Did you enjoy it at first?
i think i've been roleplaying for close to 7-8 years at this point? i had my starts in fandom, as most people do, and back in the day i primarily dabbled in book fandoms (and......homestuck....... (*ノωノ) ) my first roleplays took place on instagram, though i do find it interesting that i've always been a para-type writer! i guess that's how most book kids end up LOL​
i loved roleplaying from the beginning! as someone who fancied herself an aspiring writer (i've since learnt i have NONE of the attention span to write anything close to a novel on my own), roleplaying was a very comfortable and enjoyable way to hone my writing skills and i love-loved writing up characters. that hasn't changed, even now! (* ̄▽ ̄)b​

How did you discover RpNation?
i believe i was just googling around for some roleplay sites when i chanced upon it...... i can't quite remember exactly what i'd had in mind, considering moving from social media to forum-roleplaying is somewhat of a leap, but i do remember getting a few of my friends together and asking them to join so we could write together on it?? i'm the only one who stayed (or even used the site for more than a few days, tbh), but i've made a ton of rp friends on here, so i'm glad i did (*¯︶¯*)​

What are your favourite genres/settings to roleplay in?
while i'm mostly found in the realistic/modern categories, i love fantasy as well, and in general am a huge, huge mythology nerd. i am a huge sucker for settings with Thicc lore, largely relating to gods, pantheons, magic, and the like, honestly, but i mainly dabble in realistic settings because my must-have is relationships. whether platonic or romantic (though i usually lean towards romance (´꒳`)♡), i'm love those little interactions and trivialities between characters that make them so much life-like and enjoyable to play. there's a little bit of a sweet spot that i tend to search for, where despite the huge focus on characters and their relationships, there's still a plot and a direction to go (¯▿¯) absolutely dig that kinda stuff.​

What are some other hobbies you have besides roleplaying?
i mainly play video games and some art (´。• ᵕ •。`) i've been drawing for most of my life and have always been inclined towards art and aesthetics, which i believe is very explanatory towards why i spend so much time coding on this site too!! otherwise, i'm actually also a music lover? though i don't create much music myself, i think music is a very big point of inspiration for me, both in roleplaying and outside of it ♡​

Are you excited about any books, shows, or other related elements of media? What are they?
at the moment i feel like i've found myself too busy to sit down and finish any book series or shows, though i used to be really interested in them before! my all-time favourite series is avatar: the last airbender; i'm forever in love with the way they handled world-building in their universe and every single aspect of spirituality that they included !!!!​
i do, however, keep up with a very large number of webtoons and manhwa online, and i have more than a few favourites but i'll name "a stepmother's märchen" -- it's an especially enjoyable read that somehow manages to blend comedy into a rather serious storyline without it feeling tasteless nor tacky, and the characters feel complex and very likeable, despite all of their flaws. so much to gush about!!​

What is your favourite animal? Why?
uh, basic answer incoming!!! i love cats. they're just so cute !! ♡(。- ω -) if i had a cat, i'd be pulling up pictures of it to show off but i unfortunately do not! so i will instead present cash, who has the cutest meow i have ever heard and gives me So Much Seratonin. for a cartoon cat, the feral purinharumaki >:3c​

What is your favourite part of rpnation?
haha, forum-wise?? bbcode centre. ( ´ ▽ ` ) but honestly, i think the people! it's a very sweet, creative community that houses some of the closest friends i've made in my time online. i've met some of the nicest but also some of the most amazing writers on here, and i think the fact that so many talented, lovely people can meet together on rpnation is probably my favourite part about it. of course, i'll have to call special mention to the coding on this site, namely because i don't think i've found another site that has quite the same level of coding i see around on rpnation! the creativity is immaculate, seriously, and we have some majorly talented coders on here (*¯︶¯*)​

When you get onto RpN on any given day, what do you generally like to do?
ah, going through a normal day?? i usually spend a portion of my time drafting up a reply if any of my slow partners have wrote back (call-out post to both them and myself) and/or coding if the muse hits, though otherwise on those little bored days, i find myself browsing through the interest checks! i love reading about other people's plots and creations even if they don't personally interest me enough to join, and i do find there's a rather nice mix of genres, writing levels and settings usually (⌒‿⌒) i also browse the roleplay discussion threads, just to see if there's anything interesting being discussed and occasionally perform my age-old routine: find a topic i have an opinion on, draft up a reply, and then delete it, because i realise i don't quite have the motivation to proofread it before i post ( ´ ▽ ` ) oops​

If you were granted 3 wishes under the conditions that one of them had to be a selfless wish, what would they be?
what a difficult question!!! for the selfless wish, i think i'd ask for something along the lines of restoring our environment. from a practicality point-of-view, it seems one of the only things mankind might not be able to reverse of all the issues plaguing our current societies, and i think earth and its environment is beautiful! i'd want it to be able to be seen by future generations too (*°▽°*)​
for the two selfish (?) wishes, i think it's a lot more difficult, mostly because i want a lot of things LMAO perhaps to always have enough money to buy whatever i want for a long-term wish, but the two wishes i usually default to during 11:11 are for all of my loved ones to stay safe and healthy, and for me to just get through university smoothly (ノω・、)​

Oh no, you accidentally fell out of reality, luckily for you the rpn shark has given you a chance to live in another world, what would it be?
thank you rpn shark! i'd probably pick atla again. ٩(。•́‿•̀。)۶ but i'm gonna ask for a mile after being given an inch and say i'd only want to switch worlds if i could end up being a spirit. a bender is cool n' all but to be one of those cool, powerful, slightly chaotic primordial spirits with an absolutely insane backstory? yes, please, sign me up!! o(>ω<)o​

otherwise, i think it'd be very cute to enter this little rpg game by the name of garden paws?? very stardew valley-esque but you're a cat (ノ´ヮ`)ノ*: ・゚ head empty, only shopkeeper cat.​

If you had to make a character based on your favourite colour? What kind of character would you make?
my favourite colour is pastel pink! in a fantasy setting, i'd love to make a mage that toes the line between cutesy and graceful, all flowy fabrics and flower-themed magic. probably light on their feet, with a demeanour and magic style that seems deceivingly weak („• ֊ •„) bubbly, with a generally cheerful disposition but a nagging feeling that they know much more than they're letting on -- that they know something you don't. i could picture them as a spy of some sort, following a party on the orders of some higher being, like as a priest/vessel. can you tell i'm way too into the idea of nosy gods and deities??​

Got any rpnation projects you'd like to share?
ah, if only i had an interest check to plug right now.... (⇀‸↼‶) i suppose of the active roleplays i have right now, i'll share one of the 1x1's i have with a close friend: ellipsis. it's about a boy who sees emotional auras and a girl who lives behind a cheery facade (ง ื▿ ื)ว it's slow-moving, (hurry up and post if you see this, triples (^^#) ) but i really adore our characters + the little interactions we've planned for the future!! ♡​
also, to all current & prospective krpers; please drop me a dm if you'd like to join a little rpn-based discord community to meet other krpers! we'd love to have you ٩(。•́‿•̀。)۶​

What advice do you have for newsletter readers?
hm!!!! a gentle reminder that if you're going through a hard time right now, please know that it won't last forever, and remember to be kind to yourself :") wavering in the face of adversity doesn't mean you're inadequate or weak, sometimes you just need a little break and a breather to get your strength back before you go back to fight it again! so don't be too hard on yourself, especially if you're feeling like you're struggling a lot; you'll get through it, and it's fine even if you don't. you'll get it some other time, just get some rest ( ˙꒳˙ )​
and just a side-note, if you're considering getting into something, take this as your sign to do it!!! you got this ☆ミ(o*・ω・)ノ​

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What are some of the things that inspired you to create ❛ You Either Die A Hero, Or You Live Long Enough To See Yourself Become The Villain ❜?
Just the love for the fandom itself, on top of the creativity that could go into a universe like My Hero Acadamia. After discussing it with friends, it inspired me even more because we were all determined to contribute to this world and not allow it to fade away like some Roleplays do. The players and the fandom alone were inspiring in itself. 😊

What has made your roleplay successful?
Making the rp successful is very tough, but I've learned that one of the few key things to make it successful, is to: Have the heart to kick those who are inactive, unresponsive, etc. As well as have great communication with the players. Personally, I do not like kicking people out of the rps that are created by me, or a co-gm. But in order to keep the story going, you need to make sacrifices. Think about it as "Would you rather want one person gone? Or the whole rp itself?". I know life gets tough, I know people get busy. But if there's no communication between the GM and the Player no matter how many times you try, something has to happen. As a GM it is my responsibility to check on my players, to ask if things are okay, if they need more time, possibly if they'd like to be skipped over within the rp to give them something else to respond to, or if they would like to leave the rp. It's a lot to take in, I know. But it's well worth it when trying to run a successful rp. ☺️

How did you start roleplaying?
Oh man that takes me back. I started rping way back when I was 11-12 years old back on a site called Foopets. It was kinda like taking care of a virtual dog/cat every day. I randomly found the forums and I found a Kingdom Hearts rp that I joined. Honestly, I have no idea what prompted me to even start rping but it happened naturally and from there I went from Forumotion sites, an Otome-like game site forum, Fanfiction.net, and eventually ended up here. It was a journey getting to this place, but this is the only site that stuck with me this long. Wont leave, not ever!​

How did you discover RpNation?
I discovered RPN through a friend who used a Forumotion site like myself. The site itself was dying and she was like "Here, this is another site I use." and handed me the RPN link. At first I was skeptical, but eventually I felt like this was a place where I'd belong and I've been here since about 2013! I honestly don't have any regrets.​

What is the most unique roleplay you ever participated in? What stood out most?
I thought I wouldn't ever be able to pull out what would be a unique rp after being in so many...But 100% "A Night Bleeds" would be the most that stands out. The GM is absolutely fantastic and her story writing is pretty amazing. I've never been in a rp with such a motivated GM who was willing to play as so many different people with various different personalities. All the while taking into account that there are various different outcomes for various actions made by us: The players. We even give her ideas when we discuss anything with each other, which either causes positive or negative impacts. She's always keeping us on our toes and worry about what's going to happen next. I couldn't even tell you what stands out the most because its so unique that the whole thing stands out. 😂

What is your fondest memory of roleplaying?
My fondest memory would be when the first time I created a character named Roje (Row-Jay). From the day she was made, to now, I still RP her with tons of lore behind her. Out of all the characters I've come up with, out of all the ideas, she was the only one that stuck the most and was prominent in many different stories. She's Fierce, badass, and knows how to have a great time. I could never forget her as a character, she has almost a decade of lore built into her, making her the oldest of all my characters throughout my Roleplaying lifetime. Despite being a character, she feels real enough that I get jealous of her sometimes. 🤣 This is something I hold dear for sure!​

Tell me a little bit about your roleplay. What's your favorite part from it so far?
The RP is set in the world of MHA as we know, in Tokyo. Though it takes place before the anime focuses on the new generation of kids. Making it easier and more flexible for us to make up NPCs, as well as give us creative freedom with Villains and plot. Without Canon characters, there's no worry for saying the wrong thing or roleplaying the person the wrong way. The plot isn't revealed, but there are events leading up to what we had in mind. Right now, an assassination happened in broad daylight. Will the Heroes catch the guy? Will they lose him? Will they figure out why he assassinated someone? Who knows. It all depends on how many plan to approach it. Despite this, my favorite part is the fact that many of the characters seem to pick on eachother. Such as one hero calling another "Candle Head", and another calling someone else "Treasure map.". It makes it feel like family when they pick on each other this way and its very comedic. The personalities are so vastly different that it makes not only comedic relief, but it also brings out the emotions of the characters. Brings them to life even more so than what they were.​

How do you maintain stability and comfort between roleplayers that have been in the roleplay since the beginning and new roleplayers that just joined the group? Is there ever a time that someone feels left out? If so, how do you handle it?
With the current group we have, the original players of the rp are very chill, very relaxed. They really don't have issues when it comes with each other and they overall get along fairly well. So when new players are introduced, majority of the group is accepting of those new players and welcome them with open arms. Coming back around to maintaining the stability and comfort, we communicate with those new players, as well as the originals. Watching how well they interact with one another when in OOC. That being said, when we do get those new players, we always try to find a way to easily implement them into the story, such as if they were on vacation, or they're a new staff member, etc. Whenever anyone feels left out, personally, I go out of my way to come up with ideas to squeeze them in, as well as talk to them and find out what's possibly wrong and why they aren't able to get in as easily. Sometimes, I find that the original Roleplayers try to help out too, which is a very good sign because that means they're willing to help their own fellow rper try to get in the story 😊

What are some roleplaying tips and tricks you think others could benefit from?
Oh man, Tips and tricks for roleplaying... for one of them I'd say that if you have broken English, or maybe aren't very literate in the English language just because it isn't your first language: Use google docs, they not only have a auto correcting feature, but they also have suggestions on how to write certain situations. Grammarly is another one (Though I've seen it have some faults), similar format, I believe you pay for it which is the unfortunate part. Where as google docs is practically free.​

Another tip I'd have is: Don't always stick with using your character's name every single time in almost every sentence. What I mean is, let's say your character is a detective with brown hair, green eyes, and short and her name is Detective Kei. Instead of saying "Kei moved to the sink, starting to wash the dishes inside. Kei also put the dishes on the side to allow them to dry. Kei then went and dried them as Kei's emerald eyes watched for any stains." you could say "Kei moved to the sink, starting to wash the dishes inside. The detective also put the dishes on the side to allow them to dry. She then went and dried them as her emerald eyes watched for any stains.". By doing this, you could create variety within the post and use less of your character's name in a short span of time in your post. That's just my opinion though, everyone has their own style!​

I'll give you one more because I know I could surely go on forever 😂, but my last tip for roleplaying: As a GM, communicate with your players, let them know what's going on without giving much detail if it pertains to the plot. Warn them of time skips, ask them what they would like in the rp, or if they'd like a break from the action to do a small sandbox mode. As a player talk to your gm about any issues that arise. Let them know when you can't post, or ask to be skipped over. If your GM doesn't know what's going on, they cannot help you. If you tell them you lost interest, that is OKAY. Don't feel ashamed just because you lost interest.​

What do you think makes a "good" roleplay? As it goes, there's no right or wrong here, simply your answer and thoughts.
I'd have to say what makes a good RP (imo) is the drive of the players, and the drive of the GM. I get that when you rp, the players make the story, but there's only so far you can go with that. A GM is supposed to line up the plot, slowly drive the players in the direction of said-plot. A GM who cares about the health of the rp and doesn't allow it to die without a fight. I've been in one too many rps that die just because the GM never cared, or they didn't bother to kick those who were inactive and grab some new people to continue the story. Motivation and determination.​

Do you have any roleplaying pet peeves? What are they?
Oof, the pet peeves that I have? Ghosting. I absolutely despise when a player Ghosts. Especially when it's in a really darn good rp 😩. I don't know why or how its so hard just to tell the GM how you feel. Granted, I know that I've done ghosting in the past myself but I've been doing better on it. A lot of my older pet peeves died a long time ago but, ghosting is one of the bigger and prominent ones.​

Now, I want to look more on an imaginative side. If you had the choice to adapt your roleplay into a different medium which would it be; comic book, novel series, TV show, movie, or video game? And why?
Definitely either Novel or TV show series. Just because both would give more than enough space to span along episodes/books and not have the need to squish everything into lets say a 2 hour movie or a smaller game. Less rushing, more adapting and creating bonds with the characters, drama, action, and romance.​

What is your favorite animal, and why?
My favorite animal is a Dolphin. Not only do they have the softest skin ever, but they're able to be in the ocean all the time, swim around, play, and not worry about rent or something 😂 They're free and all they need to do is eat, sleep, swim, and survive. They're lovely animals imo.​

Do you have something in mind for your next roleplay? Can we get a few hints?
The next rp 🤔 Well this next Rp was based on another Anime that I'm almost done with: Tokyo Ghoul. A very interesting concept for an anime and I'd very much like to try using it in a RP perspective. There's no solid plans as of yet, it's just brainstorming at the moment. So unfortunately, the most I got for you is the concept.🤣

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BBCode Edits by: the lovely, deer deer
Newsletter Help from deer deer and TerrorKitty TerrorKitty
 
I'd like to start out by saying congratulations to all those mentioned and to the users who helped out with the shout out for BBCoders, we really appreciate it!

Now I will like to give my thanks to deer deer and TerrorKitty TerrorKitty for their hard work to make this Newsletter happen!

I also want to thank Chordling Chordling for all she has done for past Newsletters and providing me with the guidance to further manage future newsletters. Thank you.
 
Congratulations to everyone involved, but especially to you Britt, well done on the roleplay! 😊
 
yeah beat that Ari Ari who's the superior Ari now?!? I bet you weren't mentioned in a newsletter 😎
 

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