Lillian So tell me about this Role Play you all have.
pumirya I first came across Twisted during a period of boredom a couple years ago, by chance. Not even sure if the Interest check was on the first page. Seeing that it was set in a mental institution where almost any creator could be, I checked it out. It was a genre which I had no delved into hardly at all and playing a character with mental illnesses seemes like a interesting challenge.
Mairzy Twisted is crazy fun. Literally. There is no plot, but a consistent setting. Imagine an insane asylum between worlds which held every matter of being and psychosis possible. The conflict comes from the faults of own characters, which are so fun to exploit. I started around Xmas 2010. There was a recruitment drive, and I had seen the thread around. I tend to favor long runners because the people in them are more dedicated.
Kally It was so long ago, I can't remember really how I came across it, but I remember it was the first ever "Horror-Esque" RP, I figured I would take my chances and try it out. It was a Genre I'd always said I'd never play, but the way it was laid out, the setting, and the leniency, I decided to go for it. It's currently the longest-running RP I've ever been in, and the most fun by far. The people are so dedicated, it makes you want to keep playing.
Lillian It's been running over two years now hasn't it?
Mairzy Yep
pumirya aye
Kally Since May 2010
Kally I've been in it since the start, but have had to take breaks every now and then, what with outside-life popping up now and then. I'd always keep up with the thread, and keep in touch when I could. Even if I wasn't posting, I was still always interested in what was happening.
Lillian So what brought about the first change in GM and who was it?
Kally Maiden, at first - She was recruited as Co-GM, but the Original GM had to leave so Maiden took the reins. Maiden was already quite 'into' the role as a GM though, so it was an easy switch in my opinion.
Mairzy Well, our first GM was Petal Rose. She got more busy with her family. Maiden was already taking care of all the nuts and bolts so she took over as GM.
Lillian So it was a planned switch over?
Kally I think behind the scenes it was, but if I remember right, we were never actually informed, hah. I might have been away that day though,
Mairzy Only one of those two can say for sure LOL Or Pum *stalks*
pumirya I don't remember a 'formal' announcement, but yeah, Maiden took over following Petal's leave. The transition was pretty seamless.
Kally Yeah, I don't think it disrupted anything particularly. I think the only thing we got use to was going to Maiden with ideas/issues/whatever - instead of Petal Rose, but we did that sometimes anyway.
Lillian How far into the RP was this?
pumirya hmmm.... Trying to think of a specific day, but as for me, the best i can recall is that it occurred sometimes in 2011, so I'm thinking at least a year in?
Mairzy Yeah, she just sort of faded out, as real life kicked in didn't really go with any plot point I can think of either
Kally I don't remember either, but yeah, it wasn't a sudden thing, it was a slow process of her appearing less and less. Probably about a year or so into it. By the point she officially stopped coming, we'd all really already accepted Maiden as the main GM in the RP.
Lillian So there wasn't a huge style difference then? Would you attribute that to the focus on the setting over the plot?
Kally I'm not sure what you mean by style.
Lillian Was there a big difference in Feel to the RP when Maiden took over?
Mairzy Not that I saw, but I never got to see a plot orchestrated by Petal.
Kally I don't think so. If anything, it got somewhat more detailed, because Maiden was a descriptive writer. But other than that, she tried to keep as much "In essence of Petal" as she could. Of course with different writing styles, though, there was a slight difference.
pumirya I didn't notice one... I didn't sense a dramatic shift. Perhaps because Maiden had already been helping so much.
Kally I think we were distracted to be honest, Maiden was in the process of creating something for us all to do, perhaps to keep us moving on or to distract us. Either way, it wasn't bad at all.
Lillian So how long was Maiden GM for and who was next?
Kally Aha, *WELL*
Mairzy Maiden had to leave suddenly.
Kally Maiden was GM for a good lot of months I think, I don't remember numbers. But, like Petal, she had to leave, a lot of RL things she needed to do.
Lillian Oh I don't need numbers, just a rough idea.
Mairzy it was about summer to November.
Kally Mairzy and myself sort of took over, both of us adamant that Twisted wouldn't die with our GMs MIA
Mairzy: Yes, we both did different things.
Kally Yeah, that's right, because we worked on another story to start on! I remember.
pumirya Yeah; that's what I was thinking, looking back on it.
Mairzy I did a recruitment drive, and Kal made an awesome sauce new plot. Oh yeah!
Kally We just did what we could, really; nobody wanted the RP to die. It had been going on too long for it to just die like that, lol.
Lillian So this wasn't a planned switch?
Kally I think the only planned switch ever was Pumirya xD
Mairzy No, we did what we could all of a sudden.
pumirya One thing Maiden did do that was/is cool, was make the discussion thread to go along with the rp. And no, I don't believe it was a planned switch
Mairzy In fact- that Halloween plot Kally was talking about- we had to do some sidestepping to deal with that.
Kally Oh yeah, the Group - that's a great place for plot discussion, it's a very handy little (its kinda big actually) thing we have. And yeah, the Halloween & Christmas plots, they were fun. I don't remember much of the Halloween one though actually
pumirya Those were fun, true.
Mairzy No what I ended up doing for Halloween was more of a distraction than a plot. In fact I channeled a lot of my despair over Maiden into my main character he responded to the Trick or Treating a lot worse than he should have.
pumirya wonderfully though.
Kally Oh! Now I remember! Yeah. Okay, now I'm with you all. And agreed Pumirya, Mairzy handled the Halloween plot very well.
Lillian When Maiden went AWOL how long did you wait before you took over?
Mairzy It wasn't long, I think. I mean, I was GMing A LOT at that time so it was probably second nature.
Kally Not very long, I don't think. Maybe a couple of weeks or so, at the most? Twisted is very... freestyle kind of thing, a lot of players had their own sub-plots to keep themselves occupied for a while, so I don't think there was a huge rush to keep people together.
Mairzy Two weeks at most.
Lillian Was there a noticeable change in style at this point?
Mairzy Pum? Only you can answer this subjectively.
Kally I think it was definitely different without Maiden playing, because her characters had such a standing in the RP. But yeah, like Mairzy - leave Pum to this one, we're biased.
Mairzy I still think of Remy and Buck as the main characters, with the rest as supporting cast it's going to be weird without them.
pumirya Well; looking back n it.... I think it did change somewhat. I think the rp became more player focused perhaps. Though not without focus, I mean. I think it focused less on the weirdness/horror aspect Because Maiden had also controlled the main baddies and Petal before her.
Mairzy Yeah Maiden had all these plots for the NPCs too...it's interesting she didn't tell us of course, so we kind of used them as tools.
Kally It's impressive how.. in depth the NPCs became
pumirya Indeed.
pumirya For example, one of the staff, a gremlin, is quite prominent at times. And the clones, though none of those have names. They're just all Buscemi's.
Mairzy Clones of the actor, by the by, Steve Buscemi.
Kally There are a few little quirks in the RP, lol
pumirya Only a few, lol
Mairzy You could say we have a weird sense of humor.
Lillian So how long did you two run things and when/how did Pumirya take over?
Kally A few months, I think. Until the Christmas plot was over, at least.
Mairzy Kally and I were never official. I would answer questions, but I would usually refer to the older members. When Maiden came back, it got more confusing, because all three of us were acting like mods. The new players didn't know who to refer to and, to be honest, neither did we, so we decided we needed one official mod.
Kally We had a vote after a while, to keep it fair, and Pumirya was voted GM.
Lillian So when Maiden came back was there awkwardness?
Kally You could say that.
pumirya I think there was some, but confusion too. It was a situation that was difficult to deal with because, I don't believe Maiden was expected back.
Lillian So once Pumirya was voted in did the transfer go smoothly?
Mairzy All but for me. I lost track of the thread, and didn't even realize he was boss for a few days so he'd be like, "I can't allow that" and I'd be like "huh? Why is he acting all moddy?" Derpalicious.
Kally Lol! I didn't know that Mairzy. Okay, so other than Mairzy, lol, I think it went over well - people were welcoming and accepting really.
Mairzy Yeah, and it was the perfect choice.
Kally I agree
Mairzy No one other than Maiden is as dedicated. I mean this guy watches movies about asylums in his free time for research.
Kally Yeah, Pum is always offering up links with torture methods and mental afflictions to go with our characters and plot lol
Lillian So did he bring his own style to the RP?
Mairzy I think so.
Kally Me too
Mairzy He tried to make it fit more with what it had been in the first year, I think. And you know, I'm surprised, Pum is a nice guy but he can really bring the GM hammer down!
Kally I think Pum (and correct me if I'm wrong) focused more with how it had been originally, which was basically just putting our characters in horrible positions and torturing them xD And yeah, like Mairzy said, that's a good quality to have, to know when to be Mr. Nice Guy and know when you need to put on the GM-Hat
Mairzy Yep
pumirya I believe in the ideology of "speak softly, and carry a big stick."
Mairzy *shivers in Siberia*
Lillian So what would you all say you each brought to the RP?
Kally I'd like to think I've been a peacekeeper of sorts over the years I've been playing. I also try to have my characters have a Comic, sarcastic side to them that I hope adds to the feel of the RP
pumirya I'd agree with that. Kally has been most helpful at times,not just to others, but to myself personally on several occasions. She is, among some others, a person I have, in some small ways, tried to emulate and learn from.
Mairzy Since they can't speak for themselves, Petal laid down the framework. Maiden is he evil genius who colored the world and made it come to life. Kally is the politician- she comes up with the best ideas, like the vote. I think she's secretly the dark lord controlling Benevolent Dictator Pumirya; she just doesn't want to be in the sight of assassins.
pumirya lol Guess Mairzy has to vanish now /sigh
Kally I know Pum, tis a sad day
Mairzy Quick! Pum! Banish me somewhere else!
Kally Mairzy I feel offers the most originality to the plot - because her characters are just so different. Most people go with what they know, from TV shows or folk-lore, but Mairzy managed to come up with a completely original race that I'd never heard of before.
pumirya True, Mairzy comes up with and plays some of the more unique characters. Kally's characters are also unique in their own rights and are usually quite interesting and complex.
Mairzy Pumirya is the one who keeps us cool and laughing in tough situations.
pumirya Cool as the other side of the pillow
Kally I agree with that, Pum is very laid back, and it doesn't take much for him to diffuse a situation. His characters are also very interesting, and the effort that has gone into fleshing them out is very outstanding.
pumirya Well; that latter two anyways /sigh
Mairzy Nah, it's true they might look simple on the surface, but you dig deeper and deeper...
pumirya My first one would be much better now though, I admit.
Mairzy Pum is always asking questions. *Would Henrietta do this? Does Elsa like this?*
Kally They're very three-dimensional, which is hard to achieve in a character a lot of the time.
Mairzy Someone who thinks that much about it ends up with really cool characters. I also agree with Kally.
pumirya I do leave the computer too, lol. True But I quite enjoy the whole character process
Mairzy I think we all do. My characters in Twisted come alive so much more than in other rps...it's mad
pumirya I try to think 'how would I react, what would I say, do, etc, if I were in said situation. There are rl things which have occurred, that I feel help.
Mairzy I get that.
Kally I agree with that, there's always a bit of your own personality that slips into your characters
Mairzy Zacky is so different from me- so outgoing, that I literally have to think like someone else. But yeah, I guess that's true. Zacky pretty much has my values, since he's my only heroic character.
Lillian Unfortunately GM vanishing isn't unheard of. What advice would you give Players in a RP where the GM has vanished to keep it afloat and make the transition smooth?
pumirya This I can say. If you have a core group that believes in the rp, that loves it enough, then yes, don't give up right away. Look forward and try to resolve the situation.
Mairzy Don't despair, first of all.
Kally Think of something to do. The longer you leave it, the worse it's going to get. Even if it's something silly, just find something to keep the players with you, and keep their attention. A little plot to do while you think of how to keep it on track.
Kally That's my opinion, anyway. In my experience, after the first week of nothing happening, it's about 75% likely to go down the drain. you really need players who are willing to join in and add to the story, and not just follow the GM. I'd say it takes a lot of initiative to take up the reins. It's difficult to take up a RP that isn't originally your idea, because of plans you may not know about, or taking it a different way than the creator imagined. It kind of stressful. But I suppose if the original GMs aren't around, and you don't want to lose the RP you put so much effort and time into, then you have to decide if you're willing to change the way it's played, in order to keep it going. That's what we had to do in some instances. Granted, a couple of the decisions didn't go over well with some people, but that was all we could do with what we were given at the time.
Mairzy And if the GM gives just a little bit of secret info to just one of the players, that player is more likely to want to step up to help the gm realize what she was trying for. Basically, if you, as a player, take ownership of a plot arc, instead of just a character reacting to the plot, then you are more likely to want to see the roleplay do well.
pumirya I am in another rp where the gm left, but it has survived also. Another good group of people who wanted to keep the rp alive. So we did.
Mairzy Here's another idea: have characters that WILL change. Characters without an arc aren't fun in the long run.
pumirya tis true
Kally [2]
Lillian So do you think this would work if the RP were more plot driven and less setting/character driven?
Mairzy with a plot driven rp, one person or one group of people hold the cards to the plot. It's not impossible, because I had a long running plot driven rp, but it's different things and different considerations. Twisted never had one plot, but a bunch of character arcs. When Maiden had to leave in November, we mostly focused on those until the crucifixion arc.
Kally I've have a plot-driven RP before, on another website, that was about 2 years long too. It's possible, but not very easy. Like I said before, it takes dedication and effort to keep it going.
Mairzy But then again, so does Twisted
pumirya There is that balance, but it can be difficult to achieve. In its own way, as Mairzy said, Twisted has had lots of small plots, but the characters drive the plot, so to speak, more then the other way around, if that makes sense.
Lillian I meant in the sense of another GM to take over.
Kally Oh. Then unfortunately I don't think so. Not in the way we've done it.
Mairzy Only if the GM knows he's leaving really preps his CoGM I think...but even then, the CoGm will start telling his story...
Kally We didn't have any information about the Roleplay. If it was plot driven, we wouldn't know where we stand, what was in store. If we'd known the plan then maybe, still with work. Otherwise, I think it would have died a very long time ago.
pumirya Agreed
Lillian Is there anything any of you would have done differently in your tenure as GM if you could?
Kally Hmm
Mairzy I would have relaxed a bit, let hings happen as they happened. I was so worried about the rp dying that sometimes I could get a bit...terrible, to people
Kally Yeah, I agree with that I think, it was quite chaotic while we were GMs, with recruiting and plot advances, I would have maybe done them one at a time, which way around though, I don't know. Do a plot with only a few characters, or do a recruitment drive and risk losing ones you already have because of the wait?
Mairzy Most definitely
Kally It was hard to integrate new characters into the plot, and it wasn't fair to let them join then ask them to wait because they wouldn't be able to just jump headfirst into one of the plots, we like to establish characters at least a little before we start torturing them xD
pumirya I'm fairly at peace, though perhaps I'd have been slightly more assertive from the start.
Lillian So what would you all say was the best thing you brought to the RP during your time as GM?
pumirya Kally and Mairzy both brought interesting and fun ideas and things for the characters to do and leadership, direction.
Kally Thank you, Pumirya, aha.
Mairzy See why we keep this guy around? JK
Kally xD
Mairzy You know, it's not really a big deal, but I'm actually pretty proud of how the dinoclones were integrated. I did that, with a suggestion from Pum as a springboard.
Kally Pumirya bought great plot twists into the RP, every now and again he would throw out a curveball, something I guess he'd been keeping to himself. His characters were very well written as I said - and yes! The Dinoclones! They were a fabulous invention lol. Like Pumirya said too, Mairzy bought great plots into the story. Her characters are great.
Mairzy Well don't forget Slasher Santa.
pumirya Yeah
Kally Yeah, aha, Santa lol
Mairzy I mean, we got some super dark material out of that! And thank you, guys :3
pumirya The dinoclones were/are a ode of sorts to my first character actually. And Mairzy comes up with some fabulous ways for her one character 'Casey' to get into things, m&m's, lol
Mairzy Yeah, all of my characters do play the comic relief role, I have to admit. Just can't seem to do serious I guess, lol. That being said, as far as characters, it's my main I'm most proud of, and how he's developed. Not that all the development has been a good thing, for him, lol.
pumirya agreed
Mairzy His best friend, Pum's second character, has actually developed more in the right direction, creating a dramatic contrast.
Lillian Anything else you all want to add or share about the RP?
Mairzy Join! We're getting hungry! I mean uh... we have cupcakes!
pumirya I'd like to say that, I believe, the rp and the people in it have allowed me to grow as a writer and without all, well most of them, I wouldn't be as decent as I am now.
Kally It's the best RP I've joined here on the Guild. I've grown a lot as a writer there, and owe a lot of it to Twisted, and the other writers who have driven me to get better, and to develop my characters more and make them more three-dimensional and believable. Lol Pum
Mairzy too many emotions. ^What yall said
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