Newsletter RpNation Newsletter: September 2018

[div class=container][div class=header][div class=tri][/div][/div][div class=headertxt]September Newsletter[/div][div class=ofthemonth][div class=headerf]House Keeping Annoumcements[/div]
September's Supporter Badge
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Many thanks to @Fyuri!​
  • Threadmarks are back!
  • There is a new Dark Theme as well replacing the former one to match the Light Theme's design and function.
  • Thread Collaboration, a way to allow your trusted Co-Gms assist in moderating your roleplays!
  • You can read more about these updates here.
  • Pokécord is now in the RpNation Discord Server! Catch, trade, and battle pokemon against fellow RpNation members!
  • If you've ever desired to get a badge that was previously given and no longer available, you can get them now! We've added a new perk to the $25 Patreon Tier where you can opt to get a badge of a previous month!
  • You might've noticed a teeny tiny change to the ratings. While they are the same ratings, the style has changed slightly as we've swapped sources.
  • It's now easier to swap between the light and dark themes. At the top right near your avatar menu and alerts there is now a new icon; a light bulb. You can click this to switch between light/dark.
  • The Identities section under user profiles has been updated. AIM, ICQ, and Yahoo messenger have been removed. Discord and Google+ have been added.

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[/div][div class=info]Member of the Month
Onmyoji Onmyoji [/div]
When did you start roleplaying? What were your early experiences like?
I think I "officially" started roleplaying around 2007. Long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, basically. But I had breaks so it wasn't continuous experience...

I started with group rp, and was running my personal forum dedicated to it. There were multiple GMs and they were also moderators. Each of them was responsible for a specific location/plot. Somehow it worked and that rp lasted for a while... about a year or more. The rp was set in Harry Potter world, during the rise of Voldemort. I played Voldemort.

In fact, when I just started roleplaying I used to play villains a lot. Ow the edge...

Then we decided to try 1x1 rp with a friend. And opted for original settings, rather than fandoms. And this was where my true rp experience began! I enjoyed playing 1x1 so much, that when my main group rp died out, I never looked back.
I still remember all of those settings we created, and the characters (I played villains again, oops). Sometimes I get nostalgic and wish to do a makeover for some of those characters and use them again somewhere else. Just for fun. But the thing is, I don't really play villains anymore.

How did you discover RpNation?
One day I was feeling particularly down, I decided that I want to get my mind off things and rp, so I just randomly googled rp sites... RPN site looked active and I thought I would surely find someone to rp with. (spoilers: I did!)

What features would be in your ideal roleplay? Do you have a favorite genre?
I like to rp adventures, a bit of humor, a touch of romance and fluff, investigations, action, fighting... a bit of everything, really.
What is also important for me in a rp, is character development. I can tolerate a stale plot, but I want to see our characters change through a series of interactions. I want to see their actions and thoughts change, depending on what happened in the rp. There doesn't have to be drama for those changes to happen. But everything that happens, should happen for a reason.

For the genres, usually I rp fantasy or historical fantasy, often it's oriental fantasy. A lot of my characters are samurai, or based on samurai.

But in the end, the ideal roleplay for me is the one where my partner and I are on the same wavelength. With that it doesn't matter what we play, it's how we play and interact about setting up the course of the rp.

How do you select the names of your characters?
For OC names I use name generators or websites with name meanings! I go through the meanings that I would associate with the character, put together a list and then narrow it down, based on various criteria. Sometimes I pick a name from there, sometimes I just get inspired and create my own names that would fit the setting.
In a way, playing fandom characters is easier, you don't need to pick a name! But naming process is fun anyway. Just with my method can get a bit tedious.

What do you do when you get writer's block?
I just write. I force myself to write, and usually the block gets unblocked with the flow.
Another good way is talking to rp partners or just like-minded friends for inspiration!
And if I'm doing a fandom rp - then watching/reading/playing the source to refresh memories of it.
Sometimes you just need to take a break and rest. Rest is important. Don't feel forced to write when you're absolutely exhausted irl.

What is the most hilarious scene you've ever written for a roleplay?
Ohh... a lot of them, actually! I mentioned earlier that I like humor in roleplays!
For example, I have a 1x1 rp set in a virtual MMORPG (think along the lines of SAO). Our characters went to explore a dungeon where they got stuck. Apparently, the only way to get out was to defeat the boss of the dungeon. Of course, the characters got through till the end (there was a number of hilarious scenes on the way). When they started fighting the final boss, around mid-fight a message appeared on the ceiling that they are participating in a singing contest. Our characters started to sing silly songs about love, while still fighting with the boss and other minions. The singing was so bad that the boss ran away, but that counted as a win because it dropped loot. HOWEVER... later on it reappeared. As a diehard fan of our characters. It became a recurring gag in the rp.
Actually, the whole rp is hilarious, it has a lot of scenes like this.
It was meant to be a serious rp about two players stuck in a mmorpg… But sometimes rp goes the way it wants, not the way it was designed. And this is also the beauty of 1x1 rp in my opinion. It’s easier to adapt!

What are some other hobbies you have besides roleplaying?
My passion is fighting games. Right now, I'm playing BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle and I recommend it to everyone who would like to get into fighting games, but was intimidated by complexity of controls. It's not easy to master, as are all fighting games, but much easier to get into than many others.

I also cosplay, although I can't say I do it often at the moment. Usually I cosplay characters that are samurai or something similar. To name a few, Kenshin Himura from Rurouni Kenshin, Yasha from RG Veda, Hajime Saito from Hakuouki...
I guess this is the same kind of characters as I rp. I'm just drawn to that type of characters...
Right now, I rp a character that I cosplay as well (Hajime Saito). It's honestly just a coincidence, but I'm happy it happened, because somehow it helps me to get in the right mood for both rp and cosplay.

Are there any books or authors that have been influential to you?
Terry Pratchett! He is my favourite author, and I adore his humor. The books are incredible. They're deep and invoke a lot of thoughts, but also, they're funny. Of course, I'm nowhere near that level in writing irony and humor, but those books taught me a lot. I can't even pick my favourite book of his, I like them all.

Is there a book/show/movie that you’ve been excited about recently?
No. Nothing of the new ones at least. I'm probably the worst person to ask this kind of questions.
I do indulge in my current fandoms, but my excitement usually stays within those fandom communities ^^

Got any RpNation projects? Tell us about them!
Not really. I exclusively play 1x1 (and I must say, my rp partners are adorable!)
Maybe one day stars align and I will open a group search thread. But for now I'm just talking to people around the forums and helping new members sometimes if they ask questions that I can answer.
I also often go through introduction threads to welcome new people to the forums. Sometimes a warm welcome is all you need to get interested and stay, and I believe that RPN community is generally very nice and friendly, so I want to show new members that as well. I hope they find the rp they're looking for. So, count that as a project? To make new people stay! Hehe~

Is there any wisdom you’d like to impart to the readers of the newsletter?
I will mostly speak from the position of 1x1 roleplayer, but a lot of this applies to group rp as well.

If you just posted your search thread and get no answers, don’t give up! Sometimes it takes a while to find the right rp for you, but it’s well worth the wait when you find that treasure.

However, don’t be afraid to let go of that treasure when it starts falling apart. You can still remain friends with the rp partner even if the rp itself stops. Just a reminder, that there is no need to think that when a rp ends it's the end of everything.

Always, always, I can’t stress it enough, ALWAYS talk to your rp partners about the rp. Whether you want to change the course of the rp, or drop it, or if you don’t like something your partner is doing, or you would like to do something extra, or to take a break…
The sooner you do it, the less anxiety you will experience later on, because you won’t need to deal with stuff that will go wrong if you don’t talk. You don’t need to become friends and talk about life (although it’s a nice bonus maybe), but whenever you need to discuss the rp, you should do it.

Sometimes it takes courage to just start a conversation, but, you know… your rp partner may be as scared as you are. And there is nothing wrong with talking things through. You will thank yourself later for this.
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[/div][div class=info]Roleplay of the Month
Lexielai Lexielai [/div]
Give everyone a quick summary about your roleplay.
Imagine, for a moment, that mythology was synonymous with reality; that there once existed supreme beings whom we worshipped like gods. We called them...Astras.

Today we live in a society that has no need for such relics of the past. Our home is the continent-spanning megacity of Trinity, and we are watched over by both our technological marvels and the wisdom of our immortal Empress.

Yet you still find yourself in the most peculiar situation. You, among many, have suddenly awakened powers you do not understand. Frightened, puzzled, and awed, our people have begun calling you by an old name. Astra.

An uncertain road lies ahead of you, yet only you can decide where you shall tread. This is the tale of you and your kind—the Astra Veda.

What are some of the things that inspired you to create this roleplay?
I hope to most stress that this roleplay draws major inspirations from Hindu mythology. The name itself is a homage to the four Vedas—the oldest pieces of Sanskrit literature, and the most ancient scriptures in Hindu tradition. To tell you the truth, the idea first found roots while I was watching the music video for Legends Never Die, by Against the Current. It held an underlying mood that spoke to me; what if legends did not die? What if they lived?

At the same time I was taking a class on Hindu mythology, and had just written a research paper on Divya Astras—translated as “divine weapons”—which were said to be weapons imbued with the power of the gods. The literature on the topics were rather vague, and usually alluded to the idea that Divya Astras were symbolic of an object or a mantra, but I was rather compelled by the thought of it being something completely unexpected. A person, maybe. I had a friend tell me this sounded remarkably like the Fifth Element. And well, I loved that movie so I have nothing to say there.

Anyway, I had the hare-brained idea of bringing the Astras to life. As a past legend that returned, once again, in the far future. And then the question arose...what would happen? How would the world react? What sort of people would these Astras be? This was how the roleplay began.

What was your biggest struggle in creating your roleplay and how did you overcome it?
Before I say anything on this, I’d like to first clear something up. This is the second iteration of this roleplay. The most difficult part of the first version was definitely the world building, and bringing this world to life. Consequently, this current version already had the groundwork laid out for it in that regard.

That said, the largest barrier this time was definitely the visuals. You’ll notice that most of the roleplay is nicely coded. Everything, from the interest check to the IC posts to the character sheets was made from scratch. Not only that, but I also had to make these things accessible to people unfamiliar with BBCode, so I also had to develop code generators to make them easy to use.

My biggest advantage here was the kindness of others. There are so many people in the BBCode Center who have provided beautiful designs and source codes, and I took major inspiration from them. However, besides that, there really was no secret. I pored over different people’s codes for days, struggling to pick apart what made them work, and then incorporated their ideas into my own design. It took a lot of trial and error. Not just for this one project, but on all the days I’ve done the exact same process of studying and learning over the past few years. In the end, overcoming the challenge came down to dedication and hard work.

What do you believe are your strengths as a GM?
I believe my strengths mainly lie in setting a scene. I can develop intriguing, and exciting, scenarios for players to wind up in. I’m also rather thorough with my evaluations. I make an effort to write a personal editor’s note to everyone who has put in the effort to write up a character sheet for the roleplay, because I want to show my appreciation for the effort people put into applying.

How about weaknesses?
As a GM, I have many failings. I won’t go too deep into them, but I struggle a lot with consistency and keeping the energy going in a roleplaying group. I’m not a naturally energetic person, which makes it quite difficult for me. I also have a natural inclination towards inflexibility, particularly in regards to worldbuilding and plot development. My first instinct is to reject ideas that go against the vision I had, which is a quality that disappoints me a little. I would like to be more open to new ideas, and more open to changing the development of the story from how I had planned it.

How do you garner interest for your roleplays?
This one comes in two parts. Both are difficult, but important, yet when maximized they have tremendous benefits. These are 1) Attention grabbing presentations, and 2) A quality pitch.

The first is how well you grab people’s attention before they’ve even read a single word. There are lots of roleplays on the site, just as there are many products in the market. You need some way to distinguish yourself, to get your foot in the door, so that people will listen to you. I choose to do this with my coding, and my formatting. I make distinctively different, eye-catching designs even if it takes much more effort. And I leave plenty of space, trying not to make it look cluttered, to make it easy to digest. Since I’ve already talked more about the coding process earlier, I’ll leave it at that.

The second is your pitch. This is the intrigue, and quality, of the world you invite people to join. There are numerous parts involved here, but many roleplayers already have an excellent creative mindset. So I will focus less on the creative needs and more on a neglected topic: concision.

Nobody wants to read a wall of text. It’s not only difficult to parse, but it also comes across as overwhelming. You’ve caught your audience’s attention, but if you’re going to keep it then you need to get your spiel across fast. That means cutting out all that beautiful text you’ve written, and making it smaller and more concise. It means making your paragraphs short and impactful, and moving quickly from one topic to another.

A lot of people do an excellent job of worldbuilding and developing an exciting setting, but regretfully few of them know how to present it piece-by-piece, little by little. That is why I suggest doing this to attract interest in a roleplay.

How did you come about roleplaying?
It all started twelve years ago. I was eight years old, at my sister’s birthday party, when she started to play a game with her friends. I had no idea what was going on but I was excited and wanted to participate. Thus I experienced my first taste of tabletop RPGs, and my interest has simply developed since then.

How did you discover RpNation?
Before roleplaying on a forum, I played in chatroom games. But one day, once my writing skills were more refined and I wanted to write longer posts, I decided to try out forum games. The first option to pop up was RpNation, so naturally this place became my first choice.

What is the most unique roleplay you ever participated in?
This is hard to say, since most of the games I participate in are ones I run—I regretfully don’t get to play too often. But I would say that one of the most unique games I’ve run was my very first game on this site, named Fairy Tail: A New Beginning. This name might be familiar to veterans; I think it was one of the most active hosted projects on the site.

What stood out most?
The reason it was unique was because it forced me to be a leader. I had never been good at that sort of thing, but I was placed as the head of the GM team. I couldn’t let everyone else down. So I had to learn. I tried to act like how I imagined a proper GM would behave. I had to learn to communicate clearly and precisely. I had to learn to say no, and I needed to learn how to get my ego out of the way. I needed to become someone people would look at as a model, and it was so, so hard. I royally screwed up several times, made mistakes everywhere, and it ended up just slipping out of my hands in the end.

But that was another reason why it was unique. Not only because it made me learn skills outside my comfort zone, but also made me confront failing and screwing up. And then trying to deal with that, and accepting it. I think my experiences running that game define the type of GM—hell, in some ways, the type of person—I am today.

What is your fondest memory of roleplaying?
I remember, one summer, sitting on a google doc with my friends, and just writing. We were playing a game that we all got so carried away in, and we ended up collaborating for hours on every post we made. Sometimes I would only realize how late it was when the morning sunlight started beaming in through the window. But that was the fun of it, because we were all so absorbed into this world. We were sharing our creative impetuses and being continually amazed by one another. Memories like those are ones I appreciate when I think about roleplaying.

What are some roleplaying tips and tricks you think others could benefit from?
A lot of people talk about roleplaying itself, and their advice is much better than mine. I am going to instead talk about ideas, which many people struggle with. In truth, what I’m about to say isn’t going to be very glamorous. I am going to suggest that you develop ideas through inspiration or, put more crudely, through imitation.

Almost all of my creative work was, at one point or another, a result of being inspired by something else. Often I imitate characters, settings, and plotlines from other works that I like. For example, One Punch Man and Boku no Hero Academia had some influence in the development of this roleplay. A lot of the themes of heroism, and discovering oneself, were borrowed from these animes.

But here’s the difference being my approach and outright copying: I change things. I synthesize different settings and ideas that have nothing to do with each other, and figure out a way to put them together. I cobble together Cyberpunk and Hindu mythology and think of a crazy way to make it coherent. The truth is, nothing out there is really original these days. Everything is inspired by or similar to something else, and that can’t be helped.

However I believe the defining characteristic of your creativity is how well you leave your mark. Whether or not you can tweak this or that in a character you’ve imitated to make them suit you. If you can pull together material from many mediums which interest you and make them one. This is how I manage to write up so many characters and so many ideas when I’m scheming. Because I know how to start imitating someone else, and then change their idea to create my own version of it. Something that suits me.

Do you have any roleplaying pet peeves? If so, what are they?
I am peeved by overly edgy characters. And edgy stories or grimdark settings in general. They often follow a theme of tragedy after tragedy, brutality after brutality. It just leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I’m not the type of person that likes dwelling on depressing subjects. I much rather prefer tales of hope, and redemption; where cruelty is balanced by kindness, and for every wrong there is good. These things are much more interesting to me.

Do you have any other projects in the works that you would like to share?
Besides the loose ideas floating around my head, there is currently nothing major in the works. However I am currently inspired by light novels about being trapped in a game, so watch out in the future for potential adaptations of Isekai (the genre of being trapped in a parallel world) in the future.

Finally, the most important question. What is your favorite cake flavor?
This is a tough one! I would have to say mocha or coffee flavor takes the cake (pun intended), but cheesecake is a close runner up.
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Thank you~

oh nice, adding options to put modern messengers was a good idea. Everyone and their parents are on discord nowadays XD

Relias_ Relias_ <3
 

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