What happened to arena Roleplaying?

[gamer5910]

I miss arena and hoped it would be alive as much as the other topics, but for some reason people don't like arena as much. I like to discuss with people why the arena topic is dying, and if you like arena as well feel free to post a reply.

[TomeBinder]

It's an odd one. I've only been here for a few days, but I found it strange that "battle-centered roleplays" was inactive. I mean, you go into casual, and loads of the RPs there are what I'd consider "battle-centered".

I don't know the history. I assume it was real popular at one point, enough to have its own sub-cat. What happened? Did it become too exclusive or something? I've seen that happen before. Either way, I find these things interesting, so educate me if you have the time :)

[ethanjory]

It's waiting for the moment that it'll be deleted as a sub-category. Same goes for Tabletop and Nation

[TomeBinder]

It's waiting for the moment that it'll be deleted as a sub-category. Same goes for Tabletop and Nation

@ethanjory

That's a wide sweep of opinion my friend, Nation is alive and well. Where ever I have been, it's always been the lesser active of the sub-cats, but it's always a staple of the RP diet. Tabletop is a bit of a special interest, I admit, but I think the Guild would be silly to dismiss it - people do like taletopping online, after all, the Guild needs to have that facility here just for them.

Arena is a different story. What separates an arena RP from a casual RP that focuses on action? Is there a difference?

[Chapatrap]

It's waiting for the moment that it'll be deleted as a sub-category. Same goes for Tabletop and Nation

@ethanjory

Nation is by far more active than Tabletop or Arena. It's also got one of the oldest RP's on the site in it. It's not worth deleting it, seeing as we've built up such a lovely community.

[Rare]

It's waiting for the moment that it'll be deleted as a sub-category. Same goes for Tabletop and Nation

@ethanjory

Well, both Tabletop and Nation RPs wouldn't really fit in the whole free, casual, and advanced subforums. I mean they work different for other RPs, which is why they have their own subforums.

I think that @Dinh AaronMk or anyone else, that has played NRPs for years, could better explain why Nation RPs need their own subforum.

[TomeBinder]

<Snipped quote by ethanjory>

Well, both Tabletop and Nation RPs wouldn't really fit in the whole free, casual, and advanced subforums. I mean they work different for other RPs, which is why they have their own subforums.

I think that @Dinh AaronMk or anyone else, that has played NRPs for years, could better explain why Nation RPs need their own subforum.

@Rare

So how are Arena Rps different? Do they rely on a mechanics system or something?

[Rare]

<Snipped quote by Rare>

So how are Arena Rps different? Do they rely on a mechanics system or something?

@TomeBinder

Well, Arena RPs just need someone to keep track of things (weapons used, health, power ups, etc.). It could be easily be removed as there isn't much people, who are regularly active on that subforum.

EDIT: I am such there is a system of something; but, they are uncommon in the arena subforum.
EDIT: It isn't like Tabletop RPs, where you always need some mechanics system with you (dice generators, etc.).

[Dinh AaronMk]

I think that @Dinh AaronMk or anyone else, that has played NRPs for years, could better explain why Nation RPs need their own subforum.

@Rare

We're our own separate sub-genre of writing/playing. We may occupy multiple levels, but because there are people that do seek out nothing but NRP then it wouldn't fit in any of the other skill-related forums. We'd just get lost in all the white noise and the NRP community wouldn't be able to organize itself here.

[Cyndyr]

As someone who generally hangs out in Free and Casual, I tend to interact with people from those areas. Not speaking for everyone from either sub-forum, but from the people who I've talked to, a lot of them seem to be both interested in Arena and Nation (haven't met too many who took too much of an interest in Tabletop admittedly).

From what I've seen, it comes down to one specific trend or pattern: they're intimidated. There really isn't much of a tutorial for any of the subforums like Arena or Nation, so it generally tends to scare off newcomers. Or at least that's how I take it. Personally, I love Nation (I can't write fight scenes worth crap, so Arena isn't in my interests), but stepping into a completely unfamiliar sub-forum.

Just.. yeah, no.

People just don't like to step out of their comfort zones.

[Rilla]

Nothing happened to it, really. Before Guildfall it was the least inhabited area and still seems to be. It's a specialized area,unlike the main three so.its going to have fewer people in it anyway.

However Arenas in RPing are fairly popular. They even used to hold a massive every other year tournament(Grand Tournament), in which people from all kinds of sites would compete - including a couple of our current/old members(Skallagrim, for example). They also have a site where you can get ranked in a list of fighters(I'm listed there as well, though some BS kept me from being ranked higher).

The Arena also held Guild's only working multiverse for a while.

[TomeBinder]

Okay, so from what Rilla said, they were quite prestigious things. They had a uniform rule, maybe? Based on these tournaments more than likely.

Well, right away you alienate Rpers with that kind of fluff. Rules, mechanics - YUCK.

Should come down to two mature players, facing off their characters in a Colosseum in a freeform manner. The GM would be the referee. Simple right?

Bottom line though, from my humble opinion, is that everyone LOVES FIGHTING STUFF. They do, they really do. Arena should be what it is advertised as: battle-centered. That don't mean half of what most people prolly think it means.

Maybe I'll take a crack at it. I think I know what's gone wrong, although I could be talking out of my bum and then some.

[Rilla]

Actually. The rules were subject to the people actually participating. A lot of places adopted T1 or a variation of it,because it kept things clean and cut out a lot of "BIG MASSIVE SUPER ATTACK BECAUSE I'M.DYING".

The GT employed it as well. However if say, me and Skallagrim were to have a pick up fight we would simply Starr a thread and go from there. What characters, what levels, what rules. And if there was a problem, we would talk it out, and following that find a third party to make a ruling.

Also, there are a lot of mature combatants and a lot of immature ones. Th Arena doesn't alienate. I've seen new people come in and stick around, learn T1 and.enjoy it like the rest, and some come in and complain that they should be allowed to use their ultimate attack with nary a prep or a peep.

[Dolerman]

Arena before guildfall was slowly building a strong community, and i fear now we will have to do it all over again. But as a dedicated member of Arena I know that newcomers are intimidated, we need more of the sticky threads and resources, like the ranking system, a basic tutorial of how to fight in an arena (prep, no godmodding,) an explanation of what each tier entails, and a more accessible 'quick challenge' system so we can get straight into it. It definatley can be done!

I vote for a an 'Improving the arena thread 2.0'

[gamer5910]

I vote for a an 'Improving the arena thread 2.0'

@Dynamo Frokane

I second this vote that does not officially exist yet.