Arcadia

[size=1]Man, super heroes are the best. This thread reminds me of how much I miss hero, heh. Very awesome so far, and very well done. The one thing I really like about your writing is that the dialogue always seems very witty and natural. Good stuff. ^_^ Poor Dagger, though. Eventually you'd think there'd have to be some kind of insurance for that kind of thing.[/size]

[size=1]It depends on what I'm writing, really. If I'm being timed to write something creative like a short story scene or bits of dialogue then I tend to freak out a little. With any kind of creative writing - timed or not - I tend to spend more time thinking about what I want to say and how I should form the words and sentences in my head more than just sitting down and spitting it all out. Like Lunox, though, when it comes to timed essays I kick ass. For the most part I feel like I do my best writing when I'm under pressure, which is also why I wait until the very last minute to write some of that stuff. >_>;[/size]

[size=1][color=#ff6699]kingofmons, please read through the Square's sticky and OB rules before posting again on the site. There are a few guidelines you need to know about the Arena before you get started. All RPGs begin in the Inn, for instance, in order to recruit players. They must have a well-developed backstory and a rating in the title in order to stay open. Again, read through the rules. If you have any questions afterwards, contact a moderator or check out the Suggestions and Feedback forum for more information. ^_^ - Arcadia[/color][/size]

[size=1]The ratings are entirely up to the discretion of the RPG creator. I have to agree with ^.^, though, and say that most M-rated RPGs are rated that way so that the creator has all their bases covered. It doesn't necessarily mean that a Pokemon RPG is going to be all violence, sex, and gore, but if something like that does occur then at least the rating provides an adequate warning. It may seem silly that an anime that originally was geared towards children has taken on more mature forms, but again, it's because the creator wants it that way. Remember that these RPGs are [i]based[/i] off of Pokemon and therefore are not all going to be 100% family friendly all the time. It may be true that some threads have the M-rating simply to attract more mature crowds, as well, but in the end I still think that the content of the RPG is more important to most people then what kind of rating is in the title. [/size]

[size=1]As far as the Beast and the Guardian go, will you be playing as them as well or will they end up as NPCs? Also, is the Guardian the only bad dude that the Priory will have to deal with or can we expect to see lots of minions? Cool idea, Anarchy. I'm tempted. ^_~[/size]

[size=1][b]Guys, please take a look at the Inn's sticky before posting anymore. If you had read it, you would know that this thread would eventually be closed because it doesn't have a proper rating in the title. It also needs a much more developed backstory if it is to go any futher. If it's based on your story, then tell us about it, let us in on a little history. Three to four paragraphs is the minimum here. Also keep in mind that the Inn is NOT for actual role playing. Only after the RPG has been moved into the Square do you begin the RPG. The Inn is for recruitment purposes only. Again, read the sticky. Everything is explained in greater detail there. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to PM me or another moderator for more information. ^_^ - Arcadia[/b][/size]

[size=1]Yes, I realize that I had the last post, but because nobody has replied since then and I seriously doubt that anybody would anytime soon, I'm going to add the most updated version of this story. I turned it in as a final draft for my fiction technique class, but it's still nowhere near done. [center][b]Picture Perfect?[/b] (Working Title)[/center] The envelope was thick and heavy in her hands. The moment was strangely surreal, despite the fact that she dreamed about it almost every night since she first sent off the application. It seemed as though whole years had gone by as she had waited for news about college, but now that it was finally here, Maria began to wonder how time had so quickly come to this point. She stared at the crisp, clean Columbia logo in disbelief. ?Are you going to open it?? Ms. Hennessy asked, leaning forward anxiously. She sat behind her giant wooden desk with her elbows propped on the smooth surface. Her fingers were linked together under her chin and her blue eyes seemed to crinkle with laughter. Ms. Hennessy had been Maria?s favorite adult at her high school for as long as she could remember. She was younger than most of the other teachers, and a little crazy. More important than that was that Ms. Hennessy hadn?t forgotten what it was like to be young and ambitious, ready to chase a dream regardless of where it might take her. She had been the one who prompted Maria about going away to school and had encouraged her to take a chance. At that moment, though, Maria did not quite appreciate the teasing note to Ms. Hennessy?s voice the way she usually would have. With the arrival of the small package, the rest of Maria?s life suddenly seemed to be at her doorstep. ?No. Yes.? Maria?s voice was small and hoarse, as if speaking was a foreign action. Her gaze rose from the cream-colored envelope to meet her counselor?s amused eyes as she set the envelope in her lap sluggishly. A few minutes of silence continued through the look until Ms. Hennessy added, ?The size and thickness of the package is a good determining factor, you know.? Maria narrowed her eyes, tilting her head away slightly in such a way that she appeared to be questioning the woman?s sanity. ?That?s nice. I can?t open it.? Ms. Hennessy sighed, as if recognizing the beginning of an argument that they had many times before. ?You?ve earned this, Maria. It?s your future. Don?t be afraid to take hold and run with it.? ?I know, I know.? Maria pushed her dark hair away from her face and crossed her ankles anxiously under her chair. ?I just? I haven?t told my parents.? ?Ah.? Ms. Hennessy sat back in her chair, clicking away at her pen methodically. She was not the kind of woman to sit still for very long and was known throughout the school for her pseudo-ADHD. ?Well, now would be the time for it, don?t you think?? ?Yeah,? Maria said, but if the small frown tugging at her mouth was any indication then she wasn?t altogether convinced that was so. She avoided any more comments about her parents by picking the large envelope back up. ?Well, here we go,? she said, and ripped it open. The following seconds, when Maria reflected back on them, were somewhat muddled. She read the first few words and stood, her voice excitedly making its way to a crescendo as it became apparent that she had been accepted. Ms. Hennessy unceremoniously jumped out of her chair with garbled sounds of glee pouring from her mouth, closely followed by a much louder expletive as she banged her knee against the desk. At that, the office door swung open and one Barbara Owens paraded in, adding to the chaos. Maria only had time to blink at her friend before she was viciously hugged. Michael came in not a second later, grinning broadly at the sight that greeted him. It was one big, happy, twisted family and despite the chaos Maria couldn?t think of any other people she?d rather have with her then. After the whirl of arrivals and group hugs and the loud, cheerful sounds Ms. Hennessy asked their two visitors how they ended up in her office. Her expression was wry; she knew Barbara well enough and could accurately assume, like the rest of them, that she was the mastermind behind the invasion. Barbara was ready for the inquiry. ?Maria wasn?t at the usual rendezvous point after class ended,? Barbara began, in the most scientific voice she could muster. It included, apparently, a very bad German accent. ?So I checked a few worthy sources and through my intel gathered that Maria was called up here. Immediately, I knew. On the way there I ran into Mr. Garcia here and dragged him with me.? ?I see.? Ms. Hennessy began to guide them towards the door she suggested, ?Why don?t you kids go celebrate? I think this deserves some kind of crazy, sugar-filled festivities.? ?I like the way you think, Ms. H.? Barbara saluted the counselor before turning on her heel towards the door. ?Come, comrades. We have a great hunger to conquer.? Michael rolled his eyes as the Mighty Conqueror marched through the doorway and gave a little wave to Ms. Hennessy as he followed her out. ?See you later, Ms. Hennessy.? The older woman grinned and waved. ?You all be good now,? she said, and gave Maria a wink. Maria returned the smile and hugged her acceptance packet. ?Thanks,? she said, and meant it. If it weren?t for Ms. Hennessy, Maria might have never took the chance. Her parents hadn?t exactly encouraged her to look into schools out of state. She had no idea how she was going to break the news to them, but as Ms. Hennessy gave her one last warm hug, Maria felt like she could take on anything. ?Go get ?em, kid,? Ms. Hennessy encouraged, squeezing her shoulder. Maria smiled. ?I will.? The house was, as always, a chaotic mess when Maria returned. The twins? left their sports equipment lying every which way, including the cups. Those were dented from the boys? experiments on how much the plastic, white, protective device could handle. There were random shoes kicked under tables, books tossed on top, and jackets thrown over chairs. Alina?s wedding preparations were not a positive addition. Maria was beginning to feel claustrophobic in her own home. There wasn?t a day that went by when she didn?t bemoan the fact that she had to walk through that door and into this confusion. Columbia would be her ticket out. At least there she wouldn?t get lost in the whirlpool that was her family. It would only be her. Her mother and Alina were working at the kitchen table on Alina?s wedding invitations. The ceremony was set for the fall season, but that didn?t stop their mother from diving head first into the arrangements. The problem was that she expected Maria to dive right in with her, and that was the last thing Maria wanted to do. It wasn?t that she wasn?t happy for her sister; Maria was as ecstatic about the engagement as everyone else had been. But she didn?t like the fact that the wedding was now taking precedence over everything else, including her graduation. And she wasn?t exactly fond of the little comments her mother would make when looking through bridal magazines. Things about how she couldn?t wait to see all of her daughters walk down the aisle into womanhood, how she longed for Maria to bring a boy home, and why didn?t she go on dates like other girls? Not a week ago Michael had come over to help her study for her biology class. She enjoyed the subject on a general level but there were specific parts she hated. The cell, she had come to believe, had entirely too much going on inside. Her mother had seized the opportunity and in between trying to feed him every other minute, always true to her Hispanic heritage, she asked him questions about his classes, his family, and whether or not he had a girlfriend. When he?d shook his head, Maria?s mother had given her a pointed look before letting them go back to studying. Michael had been amused, to say the least. As Maria took her leftover sandwich to the fridge she said a quick hello to Alina and her mother. She, Michael, and Barbara had decided to take their celebration to Panera. Maria always ordered the Cuban Pork and Ham and always saved half of it for lunch the next day. She was carefully hiding the sandwich behind a box of Coca Cola when her mother asked cheerfully, ?How was class, dear?? Maria glanced over her shoulder and threw her a quick smile. ?Great. The usual.? The packet from Columbia was now safely nestled in her book bag. Despite its inferior size when compared to her schoolbooks, Maria swore she could acutely feel its weight pulling down on her shoulder. A feeling of guilt began to sink in, flushing her cheeks warm. Maria did her best to ignore that. ?I made some empanadas earlier today if you?re hungry,? her mother said. ?They should be on the shelf somewhere if your brothers haven?t already eaten them all.? ?Oh, Barbara, Michael, and me went to Panera after school for a bite to eat. Maybe later, though.? Maria took a Coke out of the red box and closed the fridge door. She popped it open and leaned against the refrigerator, sipping slowly from the cold soda as she watched her mother address an envelope with flair. After a moment her mother looked up, smiling brightly, and asked, ?Want to help? It?s not so hard.? Maria glanced at the mounds of colored paper and shook her head. ?I?ve kind of got a lot of homework tonight and I want to get started,? she said, patting her bag for emphasis. Alina looked up at her briefly, arching an eyebrow, but kept silent. She?d been increasingly short with Maria as of late. Generally they got along fairly well but the last week or so had not exactly been full of wonderful, convivial moments of sister bonding. Maria shrugged it off and headed to her room, stepping over baseball equipment to get there. It was true that she had homework, but more than that she wanted to look over the letters from Columbia and begin filling out the paperwork. She felt deceptive and sneaky but not so much that she?d fess up to her crimes. She needed time to think about how to approach her parents. She needed to research scholarship information and other financial aspects so they couldn?t guilt trip her about the money as they had done when she?d first brought up the idea of studying out of state. But most of all, she needed to build up the courage to make her stand, no matter what they threw at her. She was going to Columbia. She just hoped that she could make them understand her ambitions without being disowned entirely. Sometime later in the evening, Maria was at her desk, resting her head on her arms. Her homework had been pushed away in favor of the Columbia information, but at the moment she was snoozing peacefully, dreaming wonderful dreams about Chicago and college and lovely, wistful ideals about her future. Even in those dreams, though, a remnant of real life held fast to her memory. Every time she began her impromptu ballet performances in her underwear, somewhere during the course of the performance she managed to trip over one of the twin?s baseball gloves or Alina?s darling Cinderella wedding slippers. How they got there, she had no idea, but inevitably she would pick them up and throw them at the wall. Somehow the objects never hit the wall but instead always hit her mother?s favorite antique vase. It was an heirloom and had been with her family for years. Almost every night, Maria smashed that little bit of family history to thousands of tiny pieces. When she woke up, she found Alina standing over her, the acceptance letter from Columbia in her hands. Her sister wasted no time in getting to the point as she asked frankly, ?When were you planning on telling them?? Maria snatched the letter from her hands and began shuffling all of the papers together. ?I just found out,? she said, hiding the evidence of her betrayal under her school things. ?What are you doing in my room?? Alina crossed her arms, shrugging half-heartedly. ?Dinner is ready.? The younger of the two sisters ran a hand through her dark hair, straightening it out as she stood. ?Great. Knock next time, will you?? Alina waved her hand dismissively and turned back towards the door. ?Fine, hermanita. Keep your secrets.? She walked out and shut the door a little harder than necessary, not waiting to see if her little sister would follow. Maria stared at the dark wood and sighed, rubbing her forehead lightly before starting towards the kitchen. By the time Maria arrived home from school the next day she was in desperate need of a pick-me-up. It had been long and grueling, and her constant thoughts about Columbia and her parents and even Alina had been more than distracting to her. There had been a quiz that she should have gotten an easy A on in math, but her mind wasn?t in it and the mistakes were proof enough. There were few things that irritated her more. After school she worked hard on some prints for the yearbook in the photography lab but still ended up exposing too many sheets of their special photo paper to light. After the fourth time the advisor sighed and told her to just go home. Her heart wasn?t in it and that wouldn?t bode well for any of the pictures, even the ones she successfully managed to put to paper. When she walked through the front door of her house and into the cluttered havoc, it took more will power than she would of thought not to stomp around and start kicking things. A similar scene from the day before greeted her in the kitchen. Her mother was once again at the kitchen table, stuffing envelopes and speaking animatedly to Alina, who stood at the stove. Maria muttered an uninspired hello and made her way to the fridge, entirely bent on devouring the last bit of her Panera sandwich. It would be one of the brighter parts of her day. Alina glanced at her as she opened the fridge, one hand on her hip as the other stirred a particularly zesty smelling sauce. ?Don?t eat too much. Matt is coming over for dinner so I?m making enchiladas.? Maria shrugged. She liked her sister?s fiancé well enough but at the moment she didn?t care about anything except her Cuban pork and ham. ?That?s great?? Whatever contrite expression she had begun to say fell from her lips as Maria paused, her fingers feeling out the empty space where her sandwich should have been. She?d purposely hid it behind the soda so that it could be out of site and safe from hungry, grubby fingers but it became readily apparent to her that she?d once again underestimated her family?s ability to ruin her life. In a tight voice, she asked, ?Who took my sandwich?? Her mother looked up from the wedding invitations and asked distractedly, ?What was that, mi querido?? ?My sandwich,? Maria repeated, not bothering to hide her annoyance. Alina continued to stir at the stove very calmly. ?Dad probably ate it today for lunch, like always.? Her mother seemed to recognize the frustration in her younger daughter boiling to the surface and said in a very placating voice, ?I?m sure he didn?t know.? Maria slammed the fridge door shut. The many magnets that decorated the fridge were dislodged at impact and thrown to the floor in soft, clinking rhythm. ?No, I am not going to take that. If it wasn?t his in the first place, why did he even touch it? Why can?t anybody in this house just respect what?s mine?? Her sister looked up then, her mouth pulled down in annoyance. ?Maria. It?s just a sandwich.? ?It?s not about the sandwich, all right? It?s about me.? This time Maria did kick something. One of the tiny magnets from the fridge skidded across the floor and struck the opposite wall. There were two kinds of silence after that: the surprised silence of her mother and the dimming recognition in her sister?s quiet gaze. Maria hesitated, and then made her decision. She moved to the table, set her bag down, and took out the packet from Columbia. Her mother took the package carefully, as though it might bite, and began to thumb through the contents. After what seemed like an intolerably long moment of silence, she finally murmured, ?I see.? With incredible timing, her father came home. They heard the front door shut and seconds later, he appeared in the kitchen doorway, loosening his tie. There was another awkward pause as he took in their serious expressions before he asked in his native Spanish, ?Que pasa?? Her mother simply handed him the envelope with all of its papers. He took one look at it, his brow creasing unfavorably, and then glanced up at Maria. ?What?s this?? She swallowed. The moment she?d been dreading most had finally arrived. ?It?s from Columbia College in Chicago. I applied to go to school there and I got in.? He set his briefcase down, very slowly and deliberately, so that Maria knew this conversation had only just begun. ?But you?re staying home. We?ve already discussed this, Maria.? She frowned. ?I didn?t decide that, you did.? ?Isn?t that the same thing?? ?No,? Maria said, frustrated, ?It?s not at all. I am the only one who can make this decision, and I?m making it right now. I?m going.? ?Maria,? her father broke in, a sharp warning in his voice. ?Stop being dramatic. The decision is that you will take this year off and get a job in order to save up for school. We do not have the money for you to screw around half way across the country.? ?And yet Alina gets this big, frilly wedding?? Maria gestured towards the invitations spread out on the table. ?Suddenly there?s enough money for that?? Alina looked as though she had something incredibly pleasant to say to her sister for including her in the discussion, but her mother was quick to defend her handmade invitations and everything that they stood for. ?Maria, that?s not the same thing.? ?I don?t care! I am not Alina, Dad, and I am not going to let you guilt trip me into staying in this stupid house until there?s a ring on my finger.? Alina crossed over from the stove and smacked Maria across the face. Then, without a word to anybody she grabbed her keys and walked out of the kitchen. Maria was absolutely still. The only proof that she had even acknowledged the attack at all was the slow brimming of tears in her eyes. Fernando took the moment to make his will iron again and said in that same deliberate voice, ?We?ll talk about this later.? He dropped the envelope on the edge of the table in a way that seemed to speak about the finality of the matter. Unbalanced, it turned over and spilled its contents onto the floor. Maria hesitated and then slowly kneeled, shuffling them back into some semblance of order before grabbing her bag and disappearing into her room. She did not show up for dinner. The knocking that came at Maria?s door much later was soft and hesitant. It told her that it was not the insistent rattle of her mother and was most definitely not the demanding pound of her father. She opened it slowly, peering out through the crack with puffy eyes at her sister. Alina frowned. ?I want to talk to you.? Maria opened the door and stepped back wordlessly. Alina followed her in and closed it carefully behind her before crossing to the bed. They sat in silence for a minute before Alina began. ?I?m not going to apologize for hitting you because I think you deserved it, but I am sorry that you feel like staying home was not my choice.? She was playing with her ring, twisting the gold around her finger. ?It was. If I were as stubborn as you are maybe things wouldn?t be the same. But then I never would have met Matt and I can?t imagine the last two years without him not being there.? ?I?m sorry,? Maria said quietly. ?It has nothing to do with you at all.? ?I set a precedent, I understand that.? Alina shrugged. ?But that doesn?t mean you have to follow it.? Maria glanced at her, a question in her eyes. She wanted to ask if that meant that Alina supported her in moving away, that she supported her dreams, but instead she just rubbed her cheek and smiled. Maybe she already had her answer. Alina returned the smile, and leaned back to take a good look at her before asking, ?Want to take my wedding pictures, Ms. Wannabe Photographer?? There was a slight pause before Maria sighed and hugged her sister. ?I would love to.? ------------------- It's long, I know. Now that you've already read it, let me tell you the few things that are on my mind as of now. The ending, first of all, is most unsatisfying to me. I plan on working on that in the next couple of weeks, and I have some ideas but it'd be cool if you guys could give me your opinion. Also, I can't stand the title. I can't seem to think of anything better than that, but blargh, is it awful.[/size]

[size=1]At the moment, some of my favorite writers are Guy Gavriel Kay and Frederick Buchner. Kay is such a wonderful story teller and his voice is so witty and intelligent. He writes a lot of fantasy novels, but they're very grounded in reality. Most of them are kind of like historical fictions and he puts a ton of research into them. His characters are so easy to love. Buchner is a fucking artist, though. Amazing imagery and diction. [i]The Storm[/i] is almost like prose at some points - it's beautifully written. Love it. Of course, I will always be a fan of the one and only Will Shakespeare. Iambic Pentameter never looked so good.[/size]

[size=1][b]This RPG has been dead for like four years, man. Please don't bring back inactive threads. Read OB's rules and the Square's sticky - all of this is explained in detail there. If you have any questions after that, PM a moderator or check out the Suggestions and Feedback forum for more information. - Arcadia[/b][/size]

[size=1][b]This thread is closed because it does not contain a rating in the title. You can post your ideas again and continue to get feedback but you must remember to include this or it will be closed again. Please check out the Underground sticky for more information. ^_^ - Arcadia[/b][/size]

[size=1]Don't bring back old, inactive threads. Remember to check the dates on everything you post in. Chances are it's dead if it's a few months old already. I'm going to close this thread so that there's no more confusion.[/size]

[size=1][color=#6699cc]Please add a little more detail to your backstory. You should have three to four paragraphs before you can really begin to recruit players. It shows that you've put some thought into the RPG and allows other members to be more knowledgeable about what they have to work with. You should also improve your grammar a little, as well. Punctuation and capitalization can go a long way to clean up your posts and make the thread much neater overall. Also keep in mind that the actual RPG does not take place here. Once you've recruited a number of people for your story, you then move it into the Square and begin the adventure there. Please read through the Inn's sticky - there's a link in my signature for it. It contains all of this information and more and is vital to continued activities in the Square and Inn. - Arcadia[/color][/size]

[size=1][color="#CC0000"]Guys, this thread has been inactive for a while. Please check the dates of threads before you post in them. If they're a few months old, chances are they're dead. Always check with the creator of the RPG before bringing something back. Also keep in mind that it's a good idea to stick to the first couple of pages in the Inn for the most recent RPGs. - Arcadia[/color][/size]

[size=1][color="#CC0000"]JT, it's a very cool idea and definitely worth looking over, but please keep in mind that the Underground is for discussing ideas and gaining interest but is not for the actual recruiting of players. Once you feel that your RPG has a solid backstory and enough attention from prospective characters you can move it into the Inn and begin the sign-ups. Please read through the Underground sticky for more information about all of this and more. If you have any questions, feel free to contact a moderator. ^_^ Apart from all of that, I think it would benefit the story if we could read more about the Accolytes and what they are exactly, what they can do, and how they came about. A little more history would give the entire RPG greater depth, which is always nice. ^_~ - Arcadia[/color][/size]

[size=1][color="#CC0000"]While parties are awesome, this is still an RPG and it will follow the same rules and standards that all other RPGs follow. You're going to need a backstory if you want this to progress any further. Generally you should have three to four solid paragraphs. It shows us that you've actually put some thought into the party. Also keep in mind that all threads must have a proper rating in the title or they will be closed. Please read the Inn's sticky. It's got all this information and more. There's even a link to it in my signature - that's how much I love it. Thanks, Arcadia[/color][/size]

[size=1]I haven't been doing as much reading as I would like, thanks to classes and my ever-approaching finals, but every once in a while I do get the chance to get a little late-night reading in before I go to sleep. Lately I've been [b]The Phantom of the Opera[/b] by Gaston Leroux. I got the book for Christmas and I'm only just getting around to it. Very sad, I know. It's actually quite different from the play and the movie, though, so that's pretty cool. The other book I've been reading is [b]Three Kingdoms[/b], attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It's pretty much the same book that Chaos is reading, except that this one is one of four or five books in a series. It's broken up because the left side of the page has the actual chinese characters and the right page has the translated text. It's pretty cool, although right now I'm kind of stuck between historical filler stuff that doesn't really have any immediate relation to the actual three kingdoms. It's more of the building up to it all. Anyway, it's about one of the most chaotic eras in Chinese history and it's really fun to read. A couple video games have been based off of it (such as Dynasty Warriors). After school I think I'll start on [b]The Ratastrophe Catastrophe[/b] by David Lee Stone, along with some other classic books that I have to read for a summer literature course in order to be ready for classes in the fall. And here I thought summer reading was over and done with. :p[/size]

[size=1][color="#CC0000"]This thread is closed because it does not have a rating, but you should also keep in mind that all RPGs must have a decent backstory as well. Please check out the Inn's sticky and read up on what is required of RPG threads before posting again. You can try this idea again, as long as you include a rating and a backstory of three or four paragraphs. Again, the sticky explains all of this in detail. If you have any other questions, contact a moderator or check out the Suggestions and Feedback forum for more info. - Arcadia[/color][/size]

[size=1][color="#CC0000"]This thread does not contain a rating and that's why it's being closed. Please see the sticky for more information about ratings. If you decide to post this idea again after reviewing the sticky, you may do so but it must include a proper rating in the title. Otherwise, copy and paste anything you want saved because this thread will be deleted in a few days. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to pm a moderator. - Arcadia[/color][/size]

[size=1][color="#CC0000"]I'm closing this thread because it does not have a rating, but there are a few other things you should know, Mr. Magoo, before you post again on the boards. The first is that [b]all RPGs must have a backstory[/b]. A decent length would be three to four paragraphs. It shows us that you've put some actual thought into the story. When you put in the time and effort, more members are likely to do the same. Right now, there is no real story here, no structure, and that makes it very hard to tell any kind of story at all. Second, as mentioned before, [b]all threads must have a proper rating in the title or they will be closed.[/b] Check out the thread rating requirements in the sticky for more information on that. Innocent, thanks for the help but in the future it would be best just to click the exclamation point to alert a moderator instead of posting in the thread. A moderator will get to it as soon as he or she can. [url=http://otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=44318"]Here's a link to the sticky[/url] I mentioned. Please read through it and familiarize yourself with the rules. They're pretty simple and easy to avoid. Also check out other RPGs in the Arena and see how they're putting things togther to get a better idea of how things work. If you have any questions, you can contact a moderator or even check out the Suggestions and Feedback forum for more information. Thanks, Arcadia[/color][/size]

[size=1]I loved playing with my Barbies, but I never had any problems sending them on crazy adventures. Generally, any time the Barbies were brought out, some kind of epic story was about to take place. The thing is, though, I didn't just play with Barbies... I also played with Ninja Turtles, and My Little Ponies, and Legos, and Polly Pocket, and Matchbox Cars, and loads of other toys. And that's all they were to me: [i]toys[/i]. I think Missa hit the nail on the head. It's not the actual Barbie that gets little girls, it's the ideas presented to the kids with Barbie and without her.[/size]

[size=1]It's funny that you mentioned the contractions because there's a girl in my fiction technique class that does the same thing. She marks the contractions in everybody's stories and is of the opinion that while it's entirely appropriate within dialogue, in the actual narration of a story they shouldn't be used. Sometimes they force you to come up with better replacements (like instead of using the same pronouns over and over again, you might say, "the lethargic farmer" or "the twins" or whatever). I personally agree more with Asphee in that I deliberately use them because that's just my style. I think that most people don't really care. In the end, it's definitely up to the author and his or her preference. There's also this kid in my class who has a tendency to completely forget about punctuation in general, especially with and around any dialogue. He'll have sentences like this: [quote]"So what" Kevin says going for the cola "he's not the boss of me"[/quote] It drives me absolutely crazy. >_>; Something else I've noticed is that a lot of people use the semi-colon wrong. There should be two complete sentences on either side of this particular punctuation mark. A lot of people get into using fragments in the second half, and that's not 'proper grammar'. Even with that, though, I don't really know how much of this should be totally set in stone because when you write you need to be able to break free of conventions and ignore what everybody else is telling you if you want to find your own style and voice. I guess the question is how much of that should we be allowed to ignore?[/size]

[size=1][color="#CC0000"]It would be nice, mimiru, if you could post a little more information about the unholy war. I understand if you don't want to spoil things, but it would be nice to know if there are any specific battles that stand out, who the leaders/heroes are on each side, why the Angel/Demon hybrids were wiped out, and even why each person has their own "guardian Angel" looking out for them. Right now, you've only got two paragraphs for your story and that's kind of stretching it. If you could add a little more detail where it counts, your backstory will grow and be much more interesting and informative. It'll make the story better overall, and I think those who sign-up will have an easier time getting into the universe. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me or another moderator. Also remember to read through the Inn's sticky where you can find more information about RPGs in general. ^_^ - Arcadia [/color][/size]

[size=1]Mosh pits are so evil. You try not to get sucked into them but it somehow it happens every time without fail. They're like swirling vortexes of doom. Concerts, right. Something Corporate has always been a pretty good show, and the lead singer is known for jumping on his piano and setting it on fire, so that's always nice. They're also really good about giving guitar pics and drum sticks away. Sister Hazel is always one of my favorite concert bands because they're so laid back and there are no mosh pits, heh. They play in Florida a lot, seeing as they originated here, and so there's that definite home town feel to them. Their guitarist is amazing and one of the other members [i]never[/i] plays with his shoes on. One of the greatest things about their concerts is that for one reason or another [i]everybody[/i] knows the words to almost all their songs and so we're all singing all the time and [i]that[/i] is a ton of fun. There's also this band called Virginia Coalition that opened for them once and they were awesome. I had no idea who they were beforehand but I left with one of their cds and a t-shirt, heh. They all had so much energy on stage and they were jumping around, climbing on ****, and there was a guy ringing a cow bell but it really looked like he was having a seizure, lol. It's also fun when the bands playing together play practical jokes or bring some of the members from other bands on stage to play with them. It makes the experience so much cooler because that kind of stuff just exudes fun and friendliness. Has anybody seen Say Anything in concert? I'm going Sunday and super excited about it.[/size]

[size=1]The whole paragraph about how an octopus may playfully suffocate a diver made me laugh myself silly. I've known that octopi are among the more intelligent of sea creatures but it's cool to find that they can also have personalities, too. Too bad for the females, though. Damn kids.[/size]

[size=1]While I do agree that health care in the US sucks, I don't think you can look at a movie like John Q or even Patch Adams and say with absolute finality that it's 100% true and that's exactly what happens. Yes, without medical insurance a lot of people do not get the proper treatment they need and yes, most hospitals and doctors are impersonal and are more about making sure they have the money, staff, and equipment they need rather than focusing entirely on patient needs. I'm not condoning the behavior at all, but you do have to think about how much money a hospital needs to operate on. Think of all the specialized equipment for treating things like cancer or for physical therapy or other things like that. They have to get it from somewhere. If you want to blame somebody, blame the government for not providing proper funding for public needs/rights like health care and education. [/size]