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At Large In the Guild

- WOTM Guidelines #3 is up and this month's theme is Superheroes. For more information on WOTM and how to enter, check out the Writer of the Month Introduction Thread

New Guild Features

- The Guild has a Subreddit courtesy of MrShoe. It's something to perhaps bookmark, along with our Facebook page and the link to the Chat (on IRC) in the event of the Guild going down for more than a few days. All of these are good ways to get the news if the site were to suddenly go down for some reason.

Adventure Comics by ShonHarris

Back by popular demand, comics. We are accepting submissions -- click the hider to see details below.

Adventure Comics

Rollin' with Godly Gary-Sue


Are you a doodler, scribbler, sketch-artist, painter, image-maker, or otherwise visual craftsperson? What ever you do, why don't you share it with us? RPGN would like to actively feature your comics. If you have something you'd like to share with us, PM your work to RPGN! Otherwise, feel free to ask any questions here or privately via PM. Happy doodling!

In Their Words: QueenRaidne

Guild user and RP GM QueenRaidne talks about the various uses of Internet Relay Chat (IRC), one of the internet's oldest realtime chat formats, for the purposes of helping groups of roleplayers chat, but also for the purpose of actually roleplaying.

Player Interview

* Sep sits in the sepcave, ensuring that the weapon systems don't kill the newcomer.
<Sep> So QueenRaidne, welcome... to the SEPCAVE.
<QueenRaidne> Will there be bats in the SepCave?
<Sep> There is only a Sep in the Sepcave.
<Sep> That and yourself.
<QueenRaidne> It's not a very large cave....
<Sep> It is a fabulously large cave.
<Sep> Anyway, that is not why we are in the SepCave. We can discuss it later.
<Sep> I want to ask you some questions. If that is acceptable?
<QueenRaidne> Yes
<Sep> You've roleplayed on the OldGuild and the NuGuild I believe?
<QueenRaidne> Yes
<Sep> One word answers FTW, I know you use IRC for roleplays now. However have you ever used it before the NuGuild came along, for talk between players?
<QueenRaidne> I think I was on it briefly once, because I accidentally clicked it. Suddenly it was asking for a screen name, and I got scared, so I left in a hurry.
<Sep> So in, as many words as you want. Why do you use it now?
<QueenRaidne> It's a convenient distraction. I use it to avoid actually reading up on RP's I'm behind on. Okay, seriously, though, it's a more rapid-fire method of communication. I've found valuable RP ideas come from IRC.. It's also handy if you're doing a collaborative post and want to tell the other person to hurry up and respond already.
<QueenRaidne> [more coming]
<QueenRaidne> But going back to my first (mostly joking) reason, it's nice to catch up with friends and talk about things other than what our characters are or are trying to do.
<Sep> So do you think it is a good idea for Roleplays to have their own chats? Or share chats between them.
<QueenRaidne> I can see it going either way, really. On the one hand, a group chat helps to develop bonds between people you haven't roleplayed with, and it can be spectacular for getting interest in/finding out about new RP's. But grouping up roleplays into one chat also causes problems when nine people want to talk about three roleplays. [...]
<QueenRaidne> On the other hand, having one chat per roleplay ensures that everyone knows what you're talking about. And although having multiple roleplays per chat may help you meet new people, it'll be the same new people. Eventually you'll "clique up", form a subset of the Guild and never roleplay with new people. Or at least there's a danger of that. But then [...]
<QueenRaidne> we go back to the first hand, and consider that single-chat per roleplay can die out quickly if nobody's ever on the chat. Plus, if the roleplay dies, so does the chat. I suppose that this is a lot of words to say, "Group chats, on balance."
<Sep> Fair enough, so if you were to create more roleplays in the future. Would you try and set up your own chats?
<QueenRaidne> Absolutely, now that I know how. The one I frequent is getting a bit crowded. Well, that and I'd have to ask the owner if it'd be okay if I add a whole new roleplay to it. Which I'm sure they'd be okay with, but it's still psychologically intimidating.
<Sep> So, you say its best to have a couple of groups (Within moderation) in an IRC. How would you chose what roleplays to pair with? Or is it just a random thing.
<QueenRaidne> I think it's fine to let it grow organically. A group of players in one roleplay are likely to share the same interests. But if I was going Orwellian and wanted to manipulate the outcome, I'd choose based on the personality of the players more than the type of roleplay. Still, though, I would match the genres of the roleplays. So you might have a [...]
<QueenRaidne> galactic nation roleplay sharing with a casual Starwars roleplay sharing with an advanced OC sci-fi setting.
<Sep> I had a followup question, however I forgot what it was right now.
02:28:48 Sep ponders upon the complexities of life.
<Sep> So to anyone who feels intimidated by the IRC like you were, especially those newbies. Anything you would say to them?
* Sep totally didn't resort to a generic question.
*QueenRaidne hurriedly deletes her small treatise on life to answer a non-generic question
<QueenRaidne>
<QueenRaidne> 1) No, they can't see you. You can uncover your camera/mic.
<QueenRaidne> 2) No, they can't hear you, either. Seriously, take off the tape from that thing!
<QueenRaidne> 3) The fancy commands are /me, /italics/ (for only one word) *bold* (for only one word) _underline_ (also only for one word)
<Sep> Any questions you would like to ask? Just to spice things up.
<QueenRaidne> How'd you start using chat? Like, what impelled you to do it?
<Sep> A roleplay, I always found the actual RoleplayerGuild chat a bit too much in the random department.
<Sep> I will also say however that the chat is useful for when the Guild is down for whatever reason.
<Sep> So, is there anything random you want to say to your fellow peasants of the Guild?
<QueenRaidne> Cupcakes are delicious and now I want some.
<QueenRaidne> (And so should you!)
<Sep> Well goodbye dear Raidne.
<Sep> Have fun living in the SepCaves dungeons.
* Sep presses a hidden button as QueenRaidnes chair turns into a chute and places her in a cell.
* QueenRaidne attempts to flirt her way out. She notes its failure.
* QueenRaidne *her failure.

The Conversation: Getting an RP off the ground.

Krodin329 asks for community input on how to draw attention to a new roleplay.

Up and Coming

Interest checks are often the first stage in recruiting players for an RP, and a really good one can net you a lot of applicants. These are some of the interest checks that caught our attention recently. Best of all, they're looking for players!

Notable Interest Checks

Free IntChk:

Raindancer: Retaliation - GM: Cynder

Casual IntChk:

Night on Bald Mountain - GM: BioHazard

Advanced Roleplay Interest Checks

- Between the Cracks (A Modern Fairy Tale RP) - GM: Too Old 4 This

Tabletop Roleplay Interest Checks

- Game of Thrones RPG/NRP (Pre Aegon's Conquest) - GM: Bones

Nation Roleplay Interest Checks

- To Lunds ap Lunds - GM: Flooby Badoop

Current and Cool

Roleplays on this list have already started (but may still be recruiting, please consult the GM) and also caught our attention; the hard work the GM and players put in to setting up the RP, writing their sheets and hashing out the details have paid off and now they're writing their in-character (IC) posts.

Notable Roleplays

Free:

Sunnyside Beach Resort - GM: VileSnake

Casual:

Harmonica - (Fantasy Based RP) - GM: Gyrin

Advanced Roleplay

- S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Critical Mass - GM: TheMadAsshatter

Tabletop Roleplay

- It's All Up from Moetsville - Shadowrun - GM: ToskaO

Nation Roleplay

- As We Knew It - GM: Dinh AaronMk

1x1

- The Orphan's Wedding - Playerts: Justric + Mistress Dizzy

On Display

- Art: Taking Graphic Requests :D – Kate is looking to expand her portfolio and is taking requests from members, in her words, “...for free.”
- Writing: Dark Origins - The Life and Times of Alec Demonbane - Deamonbane first appeared on our radar back in early March for their riveting story about Kelor, a young Storyteller with the ability to actually not just to hear a story, but to live it. If you haven't started reading the 'Dark Origins' now is a great time to start!

About RPGN

RPGN is produced by a volunteer staff of WWII movie extras with the goal of bringing Guild members current and useful information about goings-on in our community. We are always accepting suggestions on categories and content. We're particularly interested in displaying people's artwork as a banner (and will fully credit it and link your gallery -- woo). For more information, feel free to PM RPGN.

Get Involved

Get Involved!

Do you make banners? Are you a circa-1995 big-haired news reporter with a 'SCOOP?' Here are some of the ways you can help with our next issue of RPGN:
- RPGN banners - Be creative, do what you want! Get exposure (we credit banners). Submissions should be 700x200px, please!
- Let us know if your RP has a birthday coming up or is successfully concluded -- We want to give credit to the commitment that both players and GM are showing in keeping their RP's going strong in the long-term.
- Player Questions - A user-submitted question will be answered on the Guild News, with the hope that it will inspire a larger discussion. Submit your question today in the RPGN PM box!
- We are Recruiting Staff - If you wish to be involved in the next edition of the RPGN, please hit up the RPGN PM box! (Note: You will be cut into the loop for the issue after the upcoming one, so if you PM between today (6.6) and the next issue (6.20) you will be working on the issue after that (7.4) The way the PM system works, we need to have who is doing the work set a couple weeks in advance. In the event of a large number of applicants, we will establish a queue for subsequent issues.)

RPGN Staff

RPGN Staff (in order of beach landing wave)

Jorick
Guru
Sep
AkiBlue
HeySeuss
ShonHarris

Anti-nausea pills, prayers in the landing boat, close-up puke shot and banner provided by: Guru
Mournful but dignified sound score by: Guru's Graphics

[Dinh AaronMk]

O hai. I made a notable RP list?

[Heavy breathing intensifies]

[MrShoe]

If anyone has knowledge of CSS stylesheets please PM me. The Subreddit needs to look kool.

[Cyndyr]

Holy crude! This is a nice surprise to see my RPs up here. Wow!

[vancexentan]

Anyone else having RPG acting up on them? I keep getting error pages and I'm hesitant to post now of days.

[Mahz]

I upgraded the server and hopefully addressed the Guild's intermittent downtime and sluggishness.

[Soul Hunter]

Your excellent Mahz, thanks for sorting it out, hopefully that'll be the end of that problem, do still wonder why that happened though, curious mostly because I do like any computer related thing lol

[vancexentan]

alright cool big man thanks for doing so.

[vancexentan]

Also Mahz if you don't mind me asking when will we be receiving a report button? I really don't like putting personal dramas out in the open on a help form rather than just reporting said person.

[Kaga]

Soul Hunter said
Your excellent Mahz, thanks for sorting it out, hopefully that'll be the end of that problem, do still wonder why that happened though, curious mostly because I do like any computer related thing lol

It was a server issue.

Basically, whenever the site got too much activity, the server couldn't handle it, fried itself and made the site inactive as you saw. (Which means refreshing only makes it worse, which surely didn't help the downtime as lots of people were probably refreshing while they waited for it to come back.) Really it could happen to any site, and if it doesn't happen, well, that just means that whoever owns the site has made sure it has a strong enough server to handle whatever amount of traffic it usually gets.

This is also the logic behind DDOS attacks, which flood a site's servers in order to force it offline.

[Gyrin]

OMG WHERE IN HERE.... thanks ^.^

[TheMadAsshatter]

What the fuck!?! My RP is listed here!?! Hell yeah, man!