While the Admins want to make it clear this isn't going to be a popularity contest or a vote, we do want to reach out to the community and ask for recommendations for a new site moderator to take up my former spot on the team. There is no rush to fill this spot and we have every intention of taking a long time to fill it. Know someone who you're convinced will make a great site moderator? Let me know and tell me why. Want to recommend yourself? Do it.
All recommendations should be PMed to me on the site or DMed to me on Discord. They need to be at least 18 years old.
Along the same line if you, or your group, want to talk to me about any issues or ask questions you can stop in at the recent Off Topic thread I made (Ask an Admin), reach out to me in PMs/DMs, or even send me a server invite. Since being made an Admin I've gotten a few server invites and I'm happy to hop in and chat with members who may not normally get a chance to pick an Admin's brain.
Thanks and good luck with the roleplaying!
So from Roleplayer to Site Mod. Where did your journey begin?
Started originally in 2006 at a website called SuperHeroHype. Doing, naturally, superhero and comics based games. In 2013 I think? Our RPGs membership was flagging and we were being treated like the red headed step children of the group. I started to scout other locations and came across RP Guild. We jumped ship the spring of '13 and I've been part of the site ever since.
What was it about RPG that drew your attention?
It was just a site that was very active and dedicated to RPing. At our old site, we were literally in the basement, the last forum on the site and seen by many as the weird kids. RPG was a site of weird kids. So we felt at home.
Did you have any trouble adjusting the methods and norm of RPG? I assume it wasn't all universal to the way you and your friends ran your games on your old site.
No, it is very different. I realize looking back that we kind of struck on something that's rare. We were all roughly the same age, had the same general outlook, and all got along great. We had one game that ran for over eight years. Just time and age made it fall apart. Nothing gold can last, Pony boy. As for RPG... I'm still adjusting, I guess. I'm a bit of an old fogie and I realize that different people do different things. With age I've gotten perspective on it and take the philosophy of you do your thing, I'll do mine. Live and let live.
You mentioned that RPG felt like home. Given that you accepted the position of moderator, would it be safe to assume that you've had an overall positive experience with the community?
Oh, for sure. I wouldn't have accepted the position if I hated the place. It's not perfect, what is after all, but I think doing my part to help out is the least I can do since the site has given me so much.
What's your fondest roleplay memory from your time on RPG?
Probably a 1x1 on I did with my writing partner and hetero life mate, Morden Man, the Pickett County War. It was a southern noir inspired by my own life and family history. It was personal and just a blast to write. Morden and I wrote our asses off for it and it's probably the thing I'm the most proud of on this site.
Any advice for newcomers to the Guild or those who might be struggling at the moment?
If you can't find a game that appeals to you, then create what you want to do. I've done that a few times. Pickett was one of those instances. This entire site is about creating, so don't let anyone else dictate writing rules to you. You're here for a reason, and that reason is writing. If you're struggling then write something, anything. If it's not good, so what? It's a start. And any amount of words can be improved upon. A blank page just sits there and never becomes something. You contain multitudes, my dudes. Just find what it is you want inside of you and make it happen.
Calling all infiltrators, operators and saboteurs: we have another mission for you. Any platoon of oafs with assault rifles and a brain cell between them can storm and capture a location of interest, but how intact it will be after they are finished is another question; bullet fragments and grenade shrapnel tend to make a mess of things, including any computers and filing cabinets full of valuable intel. Some things are much better handled with a deft, maybe even a gentle touch. Perhaps there's a VIP that requires disappearing, or a junction box needs its contents trimmed a tad to cause a little disturbance and draw attention away from a crucial area. Of course sometimes, remaining entirely undetected is not an option. One will need to adapt and get their hands dirty, though still have the good sense to be reasonable and surgical about their movements.
This is where you come in, agent. Your wide variety of skills as a dependable, determined and resourceful asset makes you perfect for the wetwork that is required of you. Light is green, agent. Grab your gadgets, probe for an insertion point, and move with the shadows.
And if it does come down to horseplay, at the very least try not to get blood on your suit.
I find that my best characters come when I get a brief little concept that pops into mind - i.e. 'Geeky Scientist Who Wears Roller Skates No Matter What' or 'Entitled Trust Fund Baby Who Doesn't Speak Any English, During the Zombie Apocalypse in Georgia.' If I have that little blurb for myself, I can usually find a name that I think matches the concept, then I look for a photograph. I usually come up with first names and then struggle with the surname. The personality usually springs from that initial concept and then I work backwards, thinking about what happened in their life to make them that way. In one of Lady A's RPs, I play probably one of my best character creations - Cecily Ashworth. I knew that I wanted to play a nerdy forensic scientist who loved comic books and as I went through the motions, I realized comic books appealed to her because she felt like an outsider growing up. She felt like an outsider because her parents had them moving a lot, so she never had permanence (which is why the logic and unchanging aspect of science appealed to her). She picked forensics in particular because her parents were lawyers - but they moved frequently since they were defense attorneys that catered to the worst of the worst around the country. I made this character in my senior year of high school and now that I'm about to graduate from college, I still adore her.
On the flip side, my worst characters I have to say came from either picking a faceclaim first - or in superhero RPs, a power. I have trouble writing and connecting with them if I don't get that initial pitch in my head. I think that having a personality you find interesting and/or a concept such as mentioned above can make for a long lasting and enjoyable character. In the cases where I didn't do that, I ultimately ended up shelving the character (those in X-Men may now realize why I stopped using Dean Kesseli now lol)
But in short - personality and that little blurb? Those are the most important factors for making a character in my opinion - at least, that's been the case for me. Since ultimately the goal of making a character is to create someone you enjoy writing about and that you're excited to tell stories about - and if I don't get those two things nailed down first, then I'm ultimately not going to be that invested in the character and their development.
Oh - and as an extra thought, thinking about what sort of character arcs you might want to play out also is great to do while creating the character! Playing a static character isn't fun, but what I do love about character arcs is that you can come up with them at any time - and if you didn't like the character you made during character creation, you can start slowly pushing them in a direction to become that amazing concept you once had.
Something I learned from my good friend @Dervish is that the two most important things you need as a GM before you start your roleplay are 1) a roadmap and 2) a reliable group of players.
The story beats of the plot, all the way until the end, should be figured out before you set off. Yes, stories can deviate, but you need something to deviate from in the first place, otherwise it's easy to feel lost and overwhelmed while trying to keep your players interested and engaged. Think of the story you want to tell first, then find people to do it with.
Vet your players. Judge their character sheet, make them submit an excerpt of their writing, possibly even go through their post history to find out how often they drop roleplays and how often they stick to them. Most roleplays die way before they reach the end. Many before they even begin. If you want to see your story through to the end, don't accept people that are known to flunk out. The gods (and @Jbcool) know that I flunk out a lot. I wouldn't necessarily accept me because of that.
Well, I would, but that's just because I'm that fuckin' good.
Before you make the roleplay you need passion for the idea. You can prep a roleplay and half way through it, you lose interest. Don't make a roleplay simply because others want you to make the idea. Make the roleplay when you're most inspired and ready to take on that commitment.
Like @Hank said, a road map, or a general idea of where you want to take the story is beneficial. But, I'd like to add that it's important to be open to your writers' ideas and also be able to improvise, if needed. There needs to be a balance of plot and giving your writers freedom to explore their characters and their own story arcs.
Hank's other point, with having a dedicated group of writers, to me should be an incredible highlight to the success of a roleplay. You can never 100 percent guarantee all those that apply to your game will stay invested, unfortunately. So, the route I choose to go to is: test the waters. To me, even flakes deserve a second chance. Still, be prepared that you will lose writers and think of how to recover from that. A back-up plan, like organically writing their characters out. Unless your game has major roles like a king in a kingdom and the writer leaves unceremoniously and at a terrible time in the story, I feel like if you're capable of working around possible hiccups then you will find those that are the ride or dies for your story.
One of my best experiences as a GM was for a superhero roleplay called Divided We Stand where I was a stand in GM for a long period of time due to the actual GM's personal life. Many people joined and many people left, yet pushing the story past those lows is kind of like weeding out those that aren't passionate about the idea anymore or invested with their character(s) as much as you are. I built a GM team of five people, who took care of different sections of the universe and moderating. My team kept me sane and I found myself inspired by them, and the other writers still fighting the great fight, because of how much they fell in love with the story. It helped that I kept them engaged by planning events, with suggestions from all my writers, but also that they kept thinking of possible head canons which was the catalyst for future posts. Our imaginations are truly our fuel and when we run out of ideas that's when we know we need to do something to either bring the spark back, like going to the GM or the people in the roleplay for advice, or find something else that brings us joy.
Communication is key. Stay transparent with your feelings and hopefully the GM and everyone else will help you. Life happens. Sometimes, for your own health, you have to say goodbye. That's okay. We love this hobby, but if you're only in a roleplay because you have to be and not because you want to see it through, that's not good.
Take care of yourself.
I will say, it feels phenomenal when you see your roleplay, or a roleplay you're a part of, flourish and overcome many obstacles. At the end of the day, that sense of fulfillment and enjoying the ride for however long it goes is what I look forward to.
In addition, at the beginning of a roleplay, you might have an idea of who is reliable and who isn't. Someone who is completely reliable could end up dropping because they took on too many roleplays and someone who has flaked many times before could prove you wrong. The only one who can decide your method of judging and giving writers grace periods, and forgiveness (or no forgiveness), is you.
I hope with perseverance and strength you find just what you need for the roleplays you're itching to write.
Similar to @Morose I have to have a bare bones concept in my head. A sells pitch to myself. That, or I have to really want to explore a certain territory. May it be a controversial subject or simply a character with a goal. For example, oh man, I have a strong desire to write an abrasive knucklehead that is so caught up with his ex that he fails to focus on the present with his friends. That would allow me to explore the subject of learning to let go and move on. If we can connect something about our character to ourselves, which I've had my fair share of bad breaks and letting go, then we find ourselves able to relate to them even in the slightest. Some of our best writing roots to our own personal experiences. But it isn't limited to just that. Sometimes I want to write out topics I would never personally do in my waking life like make a sado-masochist that toys with people as if it were a game. Why the hell not?! I like to challenge myself and if I really want to do it, even if I'm not sure I'm capable of giving it justice, you bet your bottom dollar I'm going to try! And do research. Lots of research.
Ultimately, character creation starts off with a seed. A seed from a picture you see and suddenly boom you see a character in that face. A seed from your childhood and suddenly boom you have a backstory in mind. A seed from a simple chat you had with a friend and boom a what if joke leads to you thinking of a 'goal' to give a character. Once you plant that seed and choose to bring that character to fruition, you choose how much care you'll give it. Maybe the seed was good at first but when you started watering it and giving it sunlight you found out: hey, this type of flower doesn't mesh well with me. I use to like playing naive, innocent characters, but now I just find it boring. Or maybe, when you grow with the flower, you surprise yourself and realize, hey I'm not half bad at this. I didn't think I could write a villainous antagonist that everyone loves to hate, but shoot, this is fun! I'm pretty good at being evil!
Wraith said there is no right or wrong way. There really isn't. We can suggest our methods, but it takes you just exploring topics and yourself to find out what works for you. I'm twenty six years old and I've been roleplaying for 15ish... plus... years. There doesn't come a day that I don't learn something new as a writer. Just try not to fear failing. I know that's hard to do, because we writers tend to have insecurities that eat at us daily, but once you're willing to give it a good try, who knows what you'll discover about yourself.
I'd say entertaining even the smallest of ideas you have can go a long way and bring you down a road where you might create the best character you've ever made.
As an artist, my approach to building characters or RP games is very loose. If I am completely honest, I like to build worlds and interesting characters more than I play. The act of creating for me is the best part. I agree that having a "road map" is fairly important, as @Hank mentioned above. However, I very much like to improvise most of it, and I like to feed off of the group more than I like to nail down a solid plot. As @TootsiePop stated, I feel as though improvisation is the best approach, for me anyway. Having a thoroughly laid out plan is stifling, and it can really deter optional ideas and avenues that you might not have even thought about. I definitely enjoy being led by the group.
I do try to create a very immersive environment putting enough information into a sandbox type game that players have tons of options, lore, etc., so that they can lead themselves without too much given direction. This allows for characters and worlds or places to reach their full potential, and become whatever it is that they become without a great deal of hinderance. More recently I have been adding a bit of tabletop mechanics in with my games, not so much that it is overbearing, as I do enjoy the literary aspects of this play by post style of roleplaying. The reasoning behind this is that I have grown tired of players just writing in glorious action or success without any real consequence or gravity within their posts. That is probably one of my biggest peeves about play by post RP's, as it becomes way too easy to just write a character through a scene.
I enjoy grittier themes, and flawed characters are the best in my book, but more often than not failure and compromise is overlooked, and takes a backseat to having a glorious outcome or a chance to shine, and it cheapens the deal for me. Write through success is the vanilla of play by post roleplaying for me. I hope this is making a little sense to everyone because it is hard for me to describe, but I am sure that GM's know what I am talking about. I very much believe that setbacks and failures compound and enrich plots and characters, and fortify them into being genuine and realistic, and make them true to themselves respectively, and there's my two cents.
Hello there.
We are very pleased to be able to present this guide on how to develop and run a long term, multi-storyline roleplay. With more and more roleplays reaching landmarks on the guild, it's becoming more common than ever before to see GMs cross the finish line and complete the story they set out to tell. For some, it's a bittersweet moment - you have accomplished something fantastic, but you aren't ready to say goodbye to those characters and that world just quite yet. In order to keep the good times rolling, one solution is to make a sequel - same characters, same world, just a new plot.
Alright, let's rip the band-aid off. What are the biggest struggles you're facing as the Persistent World GMs?
Our biggest issue is perception. Mahz and I talked about this not that long ago: he gets a lot of hate mail about us. People see us as an RP like any other on the site, and they resent us getting our own sub-forum and where that sub-forum is located on the Guild front page. That'd be fair if were like any RP, but we're not.
Players control where this game goes, not the GMs/PW Mods. Case in point: one group of our players really gets active and makes a great story for players not into Jedi and Sith.
The faster people realize if they don't like something about this game they can join it and change it over time with activity and effort the faster everyone will see what this was meant to be.
Yeah I'd second the perception issue. The PW is perceived as a failure simply because it takes time as a project. Yet you look at it now and we're steadily chugging along into activity and the game is a big reason why a certain group of players remain on site. We've had a lot of passive aggression in guild statuses and on the main discord. I've noticed that enough.
The biggest struggle for me, I think, was in ensuring that we all resisted knee-jerk reactions to the hate and complaints we got pre-release. The natural reaction to all of the "It's not going anywhere" "Nothing has been done" "Its already dead" and "Release now or I'm leaving" that we had to endure would've been to show everything we had just to prove them wrong.
The problem with doing that is that it is essentially a soft launch, and transitions one out of fully focusing on preparation and on to trying to prep while also being a GM. This was a problem Ellri and I had in our previous SW RP, so we were keen on avoiding it with this even larger scale project.
Compared to other RPs you've created and/or run in the past, how has the PW Experience been different?
For one, there was a huge amount of prep work in the form of sorting out the lore/guides/sheets.
Word. Also a lot more behind the screens management and collaboration within the GM team. We try to be as inclusive as possible, but sometimes things have to go fast. I'd say that most interactions I've been in were civil if not cordial. Lots of guides.
I actually started with play-by-post roleplaying on Invisionfree boards that were, effectively, persistent worlds with a couple of dozen or so users at most. Coming to a forum where the model is to have thousands of users across hundreds of distinct threads entirely unconnected to each other was an odd shift for me. I think the substantive differences between the two plays into the first question a bit. The forum isn’t designed with a persistent world in mind, and the userbase hasn’t traditionally played in this manner.
With that in mind, introducing the Persistent World is a tough ask, to begin with; with the delay between announcement and the ribbon cutting ceremony, it’s easy to see how initial engagement was low. Given that the idea has a solid grounding and things are now in motion, though, the big hurdles have largely been overcome and I expect the active users will continue growing in number.
There were people wanting to rush launch. Half of the material for the guides was initially made for [my] last RP. The key difference between that RP and the [PW] is that [I] intentionally made that one focused towards a single story, whereas the [PW] is meant for many stories. Which in turn meant the need for a few additional guides. and expansions to some of the existing ones
I find we've had to cross-check and reference a lot of the source material. Some of the old guides were useful, but they still had to be adapted, redacted. Others created from scratch discussed. There's been a bit of a peer-review if I can call it that. On top of that, Disney acquiring Lucas' legacy didn't always make it easier for us to select what was useful and what not. Legends versus the new canon and such were something I found myself sighing at a bit if I'm honest.
How has having a large team differed to running an RP by yourself or with one or two Co-GMs?
I think we've worked well as a team. It was certainly a group effort to get things off the ground. Ellri wrote a huge amount of the guides but each of us contributed to those, then we've all be working to spark activity.
It's not been all smooth sailing, we've had disputes and we had to drop one GM. But I'd take the disputes over not having an enthusiastic and creative team anyday
Quite enjoyable for the most part. I prefer to work in a team of specialists rather than having to manage everything myself, and I feel we have all fallen nicely into our places here. This team is definitely greater than the sum of its parts.
Well, there’s always the challenge of remembering not to run roughshod over those who aren’t as stubborn or who don’t know when to jump up and say “No! Stop!”.
Well enough, though I’m a recent addition to the team and wasn’t here for the majority of the GMing action. We all have our corners and there are more eyes on the ball when it comes to things over which we share joint responsibility. All the same, there’s a lot less GMing and a lot more RPing to be done now.
What has been your favourite part of the PW experience?
I love Persistent Worlds. It’s been a long time since I’ve played in one and it’s great to be back in a system where role players I don’t directly engage with on the forum are directly affecting the world we play in together. I have very fond memories of playing a part in a much larger story co-written by a dozen or more other people, and I’m looking forward to building something even bigger and better here.
You meet so many new people. This thing transcends some clique lines, and that's been amazing. It's truly a community project anyone can jump in and have fun with, whether they wanna carve out their own personal IC kingdom or join with a group of adventurous Jedi.
Seeing all of the different characters that people come up with. Everyone really seems to be trying to make their own unique, interesting characters.
Meeting new, enthusiastic writers - and being part of something bigger than the usual type of RP.
What would you ideally like to see happen with not only for this PW but any future ones on RPG?
With any luck this persistent world will be around for a long while, but future persistent worlds that do come about would probably be well-served by tackling in advance the launch-related issues that dogged this endeavour at the start.
For other PWs I’d like to see all kinds of ideas for them. Since there’s so many. Could do ones set in fandoms like Game of Thrones or Star Trek, or entirely original universes.
TES has been brought up as a possible second PW if this one does okay. So have Comics. [I'd also like to see that] people see them as community projects for everyone.
Future PW style RPs should always remember the importance of pre-launch preparation. Making sure the appropriate resources are ready for the players in their entirety before starting is vital, but perhaps a less obvious element of pre-launch prep is that it gives time for the GM team to get to know each other more and mesh into a functional team before diving headlong into the thick of it.
I cannot stress enough the value of preparation. Having everything in order before you open things up to the chaos of players cuts down on stress immensely, ensures the smooth running of the initial phases of the RP and ensures GMs don't burn out early.
What would you say to anyone considering joining the PW?
Take your time in creating a character. Don’t be afraid to start over or let him/her/it die. Ask questions. Both players and GMs are willing to help you.
Even the smallest and most seemingly insignificant character is every bit as valuable as a Senator, Jedi Master or Fleet Admiral.
Be prepared for the long haul. I've told people it'll take years for this to reach it's potential. In the meantime enjoy the ride.
Bring your friends!
My biggest struggle has never been the part of a player but as a GM. I can follow another's lead no problem or even take the lead temporarily until a time comes when the actual leader takes back the reigns, but the biggest issue is, at least for me, the pressure of having to handle the big decisions on my own. Yes, I know Co-gms exist for a reason and sometimes I do try tackle too much by myself or I don't lean on the co-gms I have and that's totally on me, but I just think the pressure sometimes gets to me. And that's not even factoring in the potential disinterest players might have in the roleplay itself. Pair that with my own general lack of faith in myself as a GM is what I find I struggle with the most.
Whenever I join a game, I feel like people are really suspicious of me. Why does everyone think I'm an alt account? How do I make sure everyone in a game I join doesn't hate me?
Which is the best lunar phase to post your RP during for maximum cosmic fortune?
@RPGNGood interview, been too long since last I read one of yours...Oops? Keep up the good work! It's always nice to read about the other players here on the guild, especially getting to know the person behind the screen in some fashion.
Then again I'm afraid of being brutally murdered in one of her RP's, so I can't give any negative feedback...hehe...please send help
@RPGN Thanks for the interview, I really enjoyed it: even if you were drunk and won't remember it in the morning :P
~Chuckles slightly~ Why thank you, I thought it was. Seriously though I love the show and it is a perfect example of taking a base story line and turning it into something memorable and fantastic. It started out as such a simple idea and was almost cancelled before it even really had a chance.
It reminds me of Rping. You take the smallest of ideas, something that may have been done a thousand times, and give it your own spin. Some times just that little twist turns something mundane into something great. A wonderful writing staff, a cast of characters you loved, you hated, you rooted for, you cried for. There is character growth, people live, people die. War, love, darkness, finding a light, and even as the show came to an end and everyone parted ways it left a mark not only on them but everyone they crossed paths with. It is everything a good RP should be.
Why Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan? She's my spirit animal of course! And reminds me of my journey as an RPer to GM. Naive, brash, passionate, and a bit seeing the world, or in her case the army, through rose tinted glasses. Over time she grew, finding that she was more than just her gender, more than just a nurse, or a major. She was all of that and more. She became a leader in the truest sense to me and and in the end someone to look up to. Someone I hope I can be to others out there as a GM. (You know, other than the Evil GM Overlord. lol)
I came to the guild over two years ago but I started on another account, Afina. Though after close to a year on it I felt it was time for a "handle" change for personal reasons. Finding the site was rather easy. You see I had been a mod for Battleon Forums a long time ago in a galaxy far far away but I had been on an extended hiatus due to burn out. When I finally came back the place just wasn't what it was anymore. I felt I needed to find somewhere new. So I went to the one place we all go when we need to find something: Google! I simple search and bam, there were a lot of places. This was the one I was drawn to: the set up, layout, how you could organize your Rp's here, the number of Rpers, and the freedom it gave to any topic you wanted to RP about. The force was strong here, so here I am.
When I was starting out RPing online there really weren't any guides, we're talking pre-T1 days. We were trial and error back then and man did we make a lot of errors.... ~facepalms thinking back to some of the stuff she pulled back then~ The longer I was in it the more I learned. As I learned I wanted to help others avoid the same disastrous mistakes I had made. Thing was, the more people I was around Rping on chats and forums, the more I started sounding like a broken record each time I was asked the same question. Solution? A guide. Then I could just link them to it. So I started writing them back on WinMx in the early 2000's and really haven't stopped.
Why do I keep doing it? Because Rp is ever evolving and I am still learning even after all these years. So I keep writing them. If they help someone great, if they don't it's no skin off my teeth because I go back from time to time to review the ones I have written to remind myself of things I might have forgotten or overlooked for a time.
What was your favorite to complete?
Oh, that's easy. Gming 201 - Randomization, World Naratives and LLA. That one was just fun to write. I was able to put down in text how I manage to keep things twisting and turning in my RP's, as well on how to make things easier for Gm's. It can be a complicated system but once in place, well it's just entertaining. Gming can be a pain, anything to make the load lighter is a good thing. Though, in truth I have a lot of fun writing all my guides. (Total nerd.)
Hardest to write?
Hardest is one I am currently working on, Gming 301 - Developing A Mystery RP. This one is proving tricky. I have rewritten three times already and scrapped each one. Trying to get how my mind goes through the process into text is proving harder than I thought it would be but it has been a requested guide, so I will get it done. That is as long as I don't run out of coffee, then all bets are off.
Easiest to write?
That would be the RPers Guide To Etiquette. That one was really too easy to write and very simple to keep updated. Why? I just open it when someone does something in RP or on the forum that.. to put it politely "vexes" me. Then I know exactly what to put there. When I wrote it originally I was seething with frustration, so it just came out. Over time, it just grew. I mean, seriously, doesn't take long for someone to do something that makes you want to slam your head into your keyboard. Or theirs. So it makes it very easy to write.
I wish I could say there are no bad Gm's out there but sadly there are, and it has nothing to do with lack of experience. It has everything to do with attitude. When you elevate yourself to the status of GM you are placing yourself in a potion of power and well you know what they say - with great power comes great responsibility. Thing is, not every GM handles having that "power" well and well it corrupts them. Gm's that set up impossible scenario's that only their character can deal with. Gm's that batter their players to post but won't keep up or follow their own rules. A GM that screws up and knows it but refuses to take responsibility. Or even worse the GM that has severely misplaced confidence in their own skills and refuses to believe they can learn anything more. I hate to burst a GM's bubble but no GM is all that. Even those like me that have been Gming for decades can learn more and better their skills. I still have a lot to learn even after all these years.
Do you ever allow for talented but diva players? Have some understanding for easily distracted folks? People that want to know more about the story than others, or want to somehow assist, or otherwise feel part of the process?
Attitude and social skills have more to do with group RP success than most seem to realize, may be a fair way of putting it?
Yes, they are huge factors in the success of an Rp. It doesn't mean that you can't host a successful Rp if you have an attitude. You just have to know how to walk a very delicate line to balance everything.
Do you ever allow for talented but diva players? Have some understanding for easily distracted folks? People that want to know more about the story than others, or want to somehow assist, or otherwise feel part of the process?
Oh god yes! I run the gambit of personalities when dealing with Rpers in my Rps. Divas, attention whores, drama queens and kings. Jerks to downright assholes. Shy people, New rpers, young, old, you name it. All are welcome. As long as they follow the rules of the Rp I am willing to give everyone a chance.
And my peeps assist me and are constantly part of the process. That is a huge part of being a Gm is weaving the PC's into the story, having those mini plots and minor story arcs are essential for character growth. I'm always open to listen and take the ideas of the Rpers. A GM creates the world, the Rpers makes it go.
But as far as knowing more about an Rp than others, I only have two words for you - NO SPOILERS!
You mean there's more to the guild outside of Rp!??! ~runs to the window and throws open the shutters~ Holy crap! Lol Seriously though, the P E E P S! Peeps! My peeps are my favorite part of the forum, even beyond RP. I really have the best group of core Rpers that have grown into dear dear friends since I joined the forum, they are my support and my strength. An online family I know I will always be thankful for meeting. Rp, like life, is nothing without people. They make the Rps great and my life more enriched because of their presence.
It is actually a really old idea from when I first joined the forum. I got the pm like everyone but as I started reading through everything I became a little overwhelmed. Not by the content but the amount of clicking I had to do. There was a lot. And then I found some things were not linked I wish there was and even things I wished there were covered that were not. It wasn't that the ones provided fell short, they just weren't the right feel for me personally. Over my time here I have heard similar from friends on the forum so I figured, why not just go ahead and do that now? If it helps great, if it doesn't no worries.
I'd love to work with the staff on this if they wanted to, but it's not like I am currently working to change what is there. Just more of organizing it. Mine wouldn't be the first user guide to the forum, there are several in the Article's and Guide Section touching on different things.
As far as push back goes, no; haven't gotten any. If there is any, I haven't seen it. Granted, it really wouldn't even be my first site guide here. The Rpers Guide to Etiquette touches on general site manners and I have organized an Article's And Guide index.
Hrm, that's a tough one. I really don't join many Rp's, tend to keep to Gming myself. So I haven't dealt with a lot of Gm's as an Rper personally on the forum. Though out of the ones I have I would probably have to say Morose. Her Gming style is very similar to mine as far as rules and enforcement goes, so I am more comfortable letting go of the GM control with her. Not to mention the woman weaves one hell of a story line that keeps you guessing. She brings out the best in her Rpers and is loads of fun to Rp with. As a Gm or an Rper, she really is tops in my book.
Besides bots? Trolls, people who believe because others have gotten away with things on the forum because a mod wasn't around that they can do whatever they want; especially on the status bar.
Very much so. It is one thing for people to individually report things but the reports don't usually go to every mod. A mod gets a pm and handles that event. Not sure if there is a central list or something that lets say one mod know if another mod has dealt with someone in the past, so some things could have slipped through the cracks.
Having an open forum where people get to voice their concerns and all the staff can see it helps. It creates a joint effort between users and staff to help make things better on the forum. I have made reports in the past and they've been handled quickly, effectively, and with care; so I know the mods care. Thing is, they can't help us if we don't speak up. We finally spoke up.
Addressing the concerns of the users is validation. It lets us know we are being heard. It was the first step. Adding another mod to help the current staff was another. We're making progress. Sure not as quickly as some would like but change takes time. I'm just excited to see that change. It's promising and I am hopeful for the forums future. This a wonderful place, working together helps us keep it that way.
"There's a Mod sub-forum we (the Staff) communicate on to notify each other of events."
I believe it does. I have been on a lot of forums over the decades and one thing that has been a common issue is the lack of power for the GM's. Needing mods to even be able to tell someone to leave the Rp they are hosting. Mods coming in and telling Gm's they have to let certain people in. The stuff I have seen in the past elsewhere is enough to make you hurl. I've seen forums kill their Rp sections because of this. Knowing the GM's have control here is refreshing and one of many things that has kept me here over the last two years. There are a few things I would like to see for GM's but that is a coding thing. (Like being able to turn over an Rp to a Co-Gm fully if the GM has to leave, being able to edit posts in their own topic instead of having to ask a mod to, things like that.) But again, that is a coding thing and frankly Mahz has enough on his plate, so not even asking for it yet. lol
Taking problems to the staff as a GM? Only to have a post deleted. Other than that no. Granted, I am an Evil GM Overlord. I have a lot of rules and regulations for people to follow and when they submit their CS it has a little note on the bottom stating when they submit the CS they are agreeing to it. My rules also include that my Rpers have to follow the standards of the RPers Guide To RP Etiquette. I expect a certain level of respect from my Rpers, not only towards me since I am running things but towards each other and even the staff: both in and out of RP. If I get word they are causing problems outside of the RP, they are gone and they know it. That is a breach of my rules, rules they agreed to. Entering an Rp of mine is like well... Welcome to Thunderdome! You break a deal, you face the wheel. lol I have had attitude from people I have booted from RP but who hasn't? Yet, it has never been so much that I needed to seek a mods help in the matter beyond having a post or two deleted. Even then it has been few and far between.
My circle just enjoys the same level of complete and utter madness I do. My own little slice of Wonderland and I am the Mad Hatter. There's a reason there are so many empty chairs at the table. Anyone is welcome to show up, few can tolerate everything going stark raving mad.
Aww, did I make you nervous? That's sooo sweet. ~chuckles~
Well, as I said earlier I have the New Users Guide I am working on as well as Gming 301. I hope to have those done in the next week or two. Hrm, as far as Rp's to plug I only have one that is upcoming - Shadowrun. It will be a Table Top RP but hosted in Casual. I am melding my usual Gming standards and CS with the 3rd Edition Shadowrun set. It looks to be a lot of fun, have two Co-Gm's that will be helping me with everything, Sigil and Dragoknighte. Both excellent Rpers and Gm's in their own right. I am really excited about working with them on this.
Shout outs? Omg, so many! To each and every one of my peeps in all my Rps! Which is a huge list but damn, I couldn't be luckier to have them. We have 3 Rp's that have been going strong for over a year and others quickly closing in on the 1 year mark. So to all my peeps in The Walking Dead, Duplicity, Darker Than Black, Soulless Regency, After Miranda, and Deeper Than The Sands - Major Kudos to all of you! I love everything we have done together and am so looking forward to the twists, turns, and down right mind screws we have coming up! You have made Gming fun for me despite all the work. I couldn't have done it without you.
<Snipped quote by RPGN>
this sentence sounds awfully not-boopy. are you malfunctioning?
Are you guys currently looking for people to join?
I like the vibe of this RPGN issue! Makes the stuff fun to read. :)
