RpNation Newsletter September 2020
Thank you
AEONmeteorite
for the marshmallow sharks in hot cocoa, thank you @Daisie for the Autumn scenery.
Thank you @peritwinkle for the September donation badge!
Roleplay of the MonthFour Suits: Of Gods & Devils by
Kloudy
Featuring @vielpotato, @Mechking, @SentinelSeven, @Storm Guardian, @. D O V E, @Colorless Spectrum, @Remembrance,
TPBx
, @AI10100, @EmeraldSplash, @Snackofthefuture,
LazyDaze
,
Ambiloquous
, @Frozen Thyme, @Kisaki, @Sushi Muncher, @BreezeCatcher, @Auda, @The Prophet, @Xcelgamer, @Rosa Kane, @Voril, @Anaxileah, and @Athanas
In their own words…
It's an open world high-fantasy story-driven roleplay with far too much lore and history. It has some nationbuilding programming, but it mainly focuses on the individuals and their stories. Set in the lands of the magocratic Four Suits Kingdoms, mages of all ranks and statuses toil through the dangerous trials of life on the continent of Ornare. Recovering from a grand war with an evil and highly advanced empire from across the seas, the people of Ornare now face the rising tensions of war with each other amidst the sinister undertones of greater forces at work.
Aside from all the plot, players are free to explore the world (we have a map with locations!) and manifest their own destiny, where every action has a reactionary effect on the world around them. Oh, and we also have a few meta-systems in place to smooth out combat and other magic-related roleplay.
What are some of the things that inspired you to create this roleplay?
Well originally the idea of four magical kingdoms doing battle with this big empire was pitched by a friend of mine, who then asked me to co-gm the roleplay with him (until he ghosted for a year). Together we drew inspiration from various fantasy settings (Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Avatar, Dungeons and Dragons) and some not-so-fantasy settings (Dragon Ball, Greek Mythology, medieval-England's history) to put together a complex and unique blend of fantastical magic and immersive realism.
I've always had an avid interest in the fantasy genre, so Four Suits personally really feels like the culmination of all my interests and research surrounding an ancient fictional era made real. Of course, I'd like to thank all the players that helped me worldbuild and for adding all their ideas to the story~
What has made your roleplay successful?
Well I could go and anecdotally say that simply making a wonderful world and story to explore was key, but it's more than that really. Honestly, it's the people that have joined over the last year and kept this thing going that are to be most credited for Four Suits' success. I'm not being all soft either, we've been through some real rough patches and had to reboot twice, but we've always bounced back. We've all persevered to keep the roleplay afloat so it could stand the test of time, which I feel is one of the toughest barriers a roleplay faces these days. And it's not just the OG members, all the new guys that joined recently have been a fresh source of inspiration and creative fun. I imagine they too will play very big roles in carrying on the Four Suits legacy for the next year and perhaps even longer than that! (Thanks guys, ily)
How did you start roleplaying and what brought you to RpNation?
I actually started roleplaying on a text-based mmo-rpg game called Torn City in their forums. They didn't really have that much of an roleplay scene there though and a friend I met there recommended RPN to me in 2016. I migrated there and found that using an actual roleplay site to roleplay was a lot better than piggybacking off the forums of a random online game haha! But yeah, after moving here I found my level of writing skill improve dramatically, which was definitely a good sign - and now here I am!
What are some roleplaying tips and tricks you learned from your experiences that you think others could benefit from?
Hmm, from a GM perspective I'd say that I've had a lot of success in managing roleplays that organise players into two or more teams/factions that compete against each other. Having the structure that allows players to progress the plot of the roleplay simply by interacting with each other takes a huge amount of stress off the GM(s) as there is less need to write for large amounts of NPCs. As with Four Suits, having four independant kingdoms not necessary allied with each other has left plenty of room for players to plan and plot their own story arcs and execute them in the IC.
In terms of roleplaying in general, I think it's important to remember that your character is still a person. It's easy to plan events and plotlines where things happen to or around them as you envision it, but overplanning can often lead to the stifling of character development. You should be allowed to explore things you hadn't planned for your character, interact with others in ways that put your character out of their comfort zone.
I feel its often the case that people stick too strictly to overarching plots and don't stop to enjoy the little things. It's about striking that balance, in my opinion.
Do you have something in mind for your next roleplay? Can we get a few hints?
To be fair, I am very preoccupied with Four Suits currently, so I'm not sure when I'll be launching another roleplay. But I do have a couple ideas I would like to try out. A roguelike lovecraftian sci-fi where amnesiac players must re-explore their derelict colony spacecraft after years of cryo-sleep is my favourite idea so far. If you see an interest check named "Limbo", know that you'll be in for a wild ride~
Member of the Month
When did you start roleplaying? Where was it? Did you enjoy it at first?
I probably started it the year I found RPN(2014) or a year or two earlier. I can’t quite remember accurately. The general memory is all foggy, but I remember trying to get into a new hobby that sounded interesting.
I probably ran into roleplaying while going through Minecraft servers. Oh the memories. Though I was never successful at any rp experience on those servers, I was able to do some actual stuff here on RPN. So I’d count early RPN days as the beginning. So did I enjoy my early days? Yes, I did. I did have trouble joining rp’s because I did not utilize Interest Checks that well, but other than that it was all good.
How did you discover Rpnation?
The mighty search engine by the name of Google has lead me to this realm.
I just typed in “rp site” or something I think.
What are some other hobbies you have besides roleplaying?
I draw. Not that good at it though.
Used to write short things out of rp’s some time ago, but now I’m too lazy to type stuff. Now I just brainstorm stuff like random lore and things.
Would you rather be a background character in a music video that's extremely well known or be the main character in a movie no one has head of?
A background character of a music video that becomes an everlasting meme, please.
I SHALL LEAVE A MARK ON INTERNET’S HISTORY
If you were stranded on an island, what three items would you have and why?
I actually had to do this for an essay at Elementary school. That brings me some memories.
Anyways. About the three items I’d pick a big knife like a machete or a kukri, a bucket, and a box of matches. For survival purposes. Big knife for tool purposes, bucket can be a container, box of matches for FIRE
All for survival purposes, yeah.
What era would you want to be born in and why?
Eeeeeven though we’re having a hell of a time with all the things happening around the world, I’d prefer to not be born in any different era. I probsbly wouldn’t have lived a great life in the past where many conflicts arose throughout the history.
What advice do you have for the newsletter readers?
At least a little bit of positivity helps all the time. Along with a handful of dimes. Keep that in mind.
Stay safe. Stay healthy. Happy roleplaying!
Thank you
AEONmeteorite
for the marshmallow sharks in hot cocoa, thank you @Daisie for the Autumn scenery.
Thank you @peritwinkle for the September donation badge!
Housekeeping Notes - Sexual Kinks RpNation does not permit sexual roleplaying as our community is expected to know. This article is intended to go over a specific section of our Erotic Content rules. The dictionary definition of these terms are the following: fetish an object or bodily part whose real or fantasized presence is psychologically necessary for sexual gratification and that is an object of fixation to the extent that it may interfere with complete sexual expression kink unconventional sexual taste or behavior Both of these terms are tied to sexual content. A common one that is seen is what is called Omegaverse or A/B/O. A simple Google search of this the first result defines this term as: "a subgenre of speculative erotic fiction, and originally a subgenre of erotic fan fiction (slash fiction).” Ultimately, if the terms you are using are associated as a sexual kink or fetish you shouldn’t be using them. You also may be incorrectly using sexual terms such as Yaoi/Yuri which are defined as homoerotic and falls under the hentai category. The non-sexual terminology is known as shounen-ai (male) and shoujo-ai (female). You can also just use the commonly used ‘slash’ to express same-sex relationships. When you use terms such as top/bottom they can be interpreted as sexual position preference of a character. You should not have to mention a character’s sexual position on a site where sexual roleplay isn’t allowed. It is easy to explain a character’s personality trait without using sexual terms. When those keywords and terms have sexual origins it’s better to look for an alternative manner in which to express your ideas even if it is easier to try and sum up as much information as possible keywords. Using alternative language will ensure minimal confusion and reduce the risk of your content receiving warnings or having content removed. Update - Thread Bumping Etiquette Rules regarding recruitment thread bumping etiquette have been updated. Please read them here! Housekeeping Notes - LGBTQ+ Friendly This subgenre has been renamed to LGBTQ+. Housekeeping Notes - Spam Filter Requirements Filter post requirements have been reduced to three (3) forum posts from ten (10). "Discord" has also been removed as a filter trigger. 
|
Roleplay of the MonthFour Suits: Of Gods & Devils by
Kloudy
Featuring @vielpotato, @Mechking, @SentinelSeven, @Storm Guardian, @. D O V E, @Colorless Spectrum, @Remembrance,
TPBx
, @AI10100, @EmeraldSplash, @Snackofthefuture,
LazyDaze
,
Ambiloquous
, @Frozen Thyme, @Kisaki, @Sushi Muncher, @BreezeCatcher, @Auda, @The Prophet, @Xcelgamer, @Rosa Kane, @Voril, @Anaxileah, and @Athanas
In their own words…
It's an open world high-fantasy story-driven roleplay with far too much lore and history. It has some nationbuilding programming, but it mainly focuses on the individuals and their stories. Set in the lands of the magocratic Four Suits Kingdoms, mages of all ranks and statuses toil through the dangerous trials of life on the continent of Ornare. Recovering from a grand war with an evil and highly advanced empire from across the seas, the people of Ornare now face the rising tensions of war with each other amidst the sinister undertones of greater forces at work.
Aside from all the plot, players are free to explore the world (we have a map with locations!) and manifest their own destiny, where every action has a reactionary effect on the world around them. Oh, and we also have a few meta-systems in place to smooth out combat and other magic-related roleplay.
What are some of the things that inspired you to create this roleplay?
Well originally the idea of four magical kingdoms doing battle with this big empire was pitched by a friend of mine, who then asked me to co-gm the roleplay with him (until he ghosted for a year). Together we drew inspiration from various fantasy settings (Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Avatar, Dungeons and Dragons) and some not-so-fantasy settings (Dragon Ball, Greek Mythology, medieval-England's history) to put together a complex and unique blend of fantastical magic and immersive realism.
I've always had an avid interest in the fantasy genre, so Four Suits personally really feels like the culmination of all my interests and research surrounding an ancient fictional era made real. Of course, I'd like to thank all the players that helped me worldbuild and for adding all their ideas to the story~
What has made your roleplay successful?
Well I could go and anecdotally say that simply making a wonderful world and story to explore was key, but it's more than that really. Honestly, it's the people that have joined over the last year and kept this thing going that are to be most credited for Four Suits' success. I'm not being all soft either, we've been through some real rough patches and had to reboot twice, but we've always bounced back. We've all persevered to keep the roleplay afloat so it could stand the test of time, which I feel is one of the toughest barriers a roleplay faces these days. And it's not just the OG members, all the new guys that joined recently have been a fresh source of inspiration and creative fun. I imagine they too will play very big roles in carrying on the Four Suits legacy for the next year and perhaps even longer than that! (Thanks guys, ily)
How did you start roleplaying and what brought you to RpNation?
I actually started roleplaying on a text-based mmo-rpg game called Torn City in their forums. They didn't really have that much of an roleplay scene there though and a friend I met there recommended RPN to me in 2016. I migrated there and found that using an actual roleplay site to roleplay was a lot better than piggybacking off the forums of a random online game haha! But yeah, after moving here I found my level of writing skill improve dramatically, which was definitely a good sign - and now here I am!
What are some roleplaying tips and tricks you learned from your experiences that you think others could benefit from?
Hmm, from a GM perspective I'd say that I've had a lot of success in managing roleplays that organise players into two or more teams/factions that compete against each other. Having the structure that allows players to progress the plot of the roleplay simply by interacting with each other takes a huge amount of stress off the GM(s) as there is less need to write for large amounts of NPCs. As with Four Suits, having four independant kingdoms not necessary allied with each other has left plenty of room for players to plan and plot their own story arcs and execute them in the IC.
In terms of roleplaying in general, I think it's important to remember that your character is still a person. It's easy to plan events and plotlines where things happen to or around them as you envision it, but overplanning can often lead to the stifling of character development. You should be allowed to explore things you hadn't planned for your character, interact with others in ways that put your character out of their comfort zone.
I feel its often the case that people stick too strictly to overarching plots and don't stop to enjoy the little things. It's about striking that balance, in my opinion.
Do you have something in mind for your next roleplay? Can we get a few hints?
To be fair, I am very preoccupied with Four Suits currently, so I'm not sure when I'll be launching another roleplay. But I do have a couple ideas I would like to try out. A roguelike lovecraftian sci-fi where amnesiac players must re-explore their derelict colony spacecraft after years of cryo-sleep is my favourite idea so far. If you see an interest check named "Limbo", know that you'll be in for a wild ride~
Featured DiscussionThe Exact Opposite of Mary Sue? By @Crow
People hate Mary Sues, but what do you all think of the exact opposite end of the spectrum? Have you encountered them before?
People hate Mary Sues, but what do you all think of the exact opposite end of the spectrum? Have you encountered them before?
.
Featured ArtistFish's Art Thread: Because Reasons by
tuxedo-fish
This fish has talent that is undeniable. Go check out their work- because reasons.
tuxedo-fish
This fish has talent that is undeniable. Go check out their work- because reasons.
.
Featured BBCoderAmi's Test Lab | Testing Freebies by
Ambiloquous
Need to spruce up your forum posts? You may find just the thing!
Ambiloquous
Need to spruce up your forum posts? You may find just the thing!
Member of the Month
When did you start roleplaying? Where was it? Did you enjoy it at first?
I probably started it the year I found RPN(2014) or a year or two earlier. I can’t quite remember accurately. The general memory is all foggy, but I remember trying to get into a new hobby that sounded interesting.
I probably ran into roleplaying while going through Minecraft servers. Oh the memories. Though I was never successful at any rp experience on those servers, I was able to do some actual stuff here on RPN. So I’d count early RPN days as the beginning. So did I enjoy my early days? Yes, I did. I did have trouble joining rp’s because I did not utilize Interest Checks that well, but other than that it was all good.
How did you discover Rpnation?
The mighty search engine by the name of Google has lead me to this realm.
I just typed in “rp site” or something I think.
What are some other hobbies you have besides roleplaying?
I draw. Not that good at it though.
Used to write short things out of rp’s some time ago, but now I’m too lazy to type stuff. Now I just brainstorm stuff like random lore and things.
Would you rather be a background character in a music video that's extremely well known or be the main character in a movie no one has head of?
A background character of a music video that becomes an everlasting meme, please.
I SHALL LEAVE A MARK ON INTERNET’S HISTORY
If you were stranded on an island, what three items would you have and why?
I actually had to do this for an essay at Elementary school. That brings me some memories.
Anyways. About the three items I’d pick a big knife like a machete or a kukri, a bucket, and a box of matches. For survival purposes. Big knife for tool purposes, bucket can be a container, box of matches for FIRE
All for survival purposes, yeah.
What era would you want to be born in and why?
Eeeeeven though we’re having a hell of a time with all the things happening around the world, I’d prefer to not be born in any different era. I probsbly wouldn’t have lived a great life in the past where many conflicts arose throughout the history.
What advice do you have for the newsletter readers?
At least a little bit of positivity helps all the time. Along with a handful of dimes. Keep that in mind.
Stay safe. Stay healthy. Happy roleplaying!
Whew, unexpected, but thank you. 
