RPG For Everyone - RPW General Thread

[Mnemolth]

[b][color=red]Note to mods/admin: This is not a recruitment drive but constitutes part of the game. Also, due to the special nature of this game, I have permission from James to make multiple threads about this game. Thanks. :D[/color][/b]

Welcome to Role-Playing Writing! :)

[b]For the uninitiated and non-players:[/b]

This is an experimental RPG that is unlike any other.

Basically, every couple of weeks, some of the OtakuBoards best aspiring writers and finest RPGers will battle it out, and you can help to decide the winner.

The players are such notables as :-

Sara
The Harlequin
Crazy White Guy
Juuthena
Red XIII
ShyGuy and
Lady Asphyxia

Its simple. Read their stories in the 'Role-Playing Writing' threads in this forum and vote for the story you like the most. That's all there is to it. Players get points for their writing and the more points they have the more power they are given. So follow your favourite authors and see who triumphs! :)

There are rules and ranks and a whole lot more info at the [url=http://users.tpg.com.au/jackly/rpw/index.html]RPW website[/url]. Check it out!

If you have any further questions or comments or suggestions about this game, just post them here. I've opened this thread specifically to answer any queries from both players and other members of Otakuboards.


[b]For the players:[/b]

At the beginning I suspect there will be plenty of questions relating to how the game is run and how it works, and deadlines and such. But once people get settled in I believe the posts will be more about writing styles and talks about each others' works and how to complete the assigned Objectives or how to further the plot and so on.

This thread exists to talk about these general matters.

So if you've got a question, or maybe you don't like how something is done, post it here. Any rants and raves are welcome (within the Otakuboards general rules of course).

[Shy]

[size=1]I see how having our characters meet in the first post would be helpful, but I think it might detract from the overall continuity and quality.

The way I want to meet (example) CWB may be different than the way CWB wants to meet me, and we both might end up posting our introductions without knowledge of the others, or whatever. See what point I am trying to make here?

-Shy[/size]

[Mnemolth]

Hmm... not really. :)

I think part of the point here is that this is a competition and a game. To 'win' is to come up with what your peers regard as the best piece of work. So how you 'meet' CWB or otherwise is determined by the 'winning' piece. The same goes with the naming of NPCs and locations. The fact that CWB and you don't know about each other's plans is part of the gamesmanship. There are meant to be seven independent pieces of work. Whoever wins Round One is THE set story, and Round two submissions must, as a matter of course, not do anything that blatantly disrupts the continuity, ie it must accept the parameters established by the Round One winner (but of course you can be creative within these limits, and once oyu start writing you'll find there is actually quite a lot of freedom). Then Round one and two winning submissions become the set piece and Round three works off that base, and so on.

Its a linear story, not a multiple path one (as 'normal' RPGs are). You have to fight for your story to take form, and you have nothing to fight with but your writing ability and you capacity to develop characters and plot. Its direct competition.

Does that make things any clearer? Or have I just confused things even more? :D

[Shy]

[size=1]That makes perfect sense actually, thanks.

-Shy[/size] :whoops:

[Mnemolth]

Great work Lady Asphyxia, the first to put a submission in! Much appreciated. :D

Now who will be next to step up to the plate? ;)

[Sara]

[size=1]I like yours, Rae. It's...spiffy. <---Sara's all-purpose word for...uh...spiffy-ness. ~_^

It was really neat seeing how you did Xii, heh.

It's scary trying to write about other people's characters. Fun, though. Hope I didn't slaughter anyone too badly. --;[/size]

[Juu]

[color=deeppink] [size=1]*raises hand*
Erm... I have a question. ^_^;
When exactly are these due? I've had alot of homework lately, so I didn't have much time this week to work on it...

btw Sara, my char's name is Celestine this time. ^_-
*gets confuzzled of all the characters' names she used for the same pic*

[b]Edit:[/b] Thirteen is a very old age. o_o;[/color] [/size]

[Mnemolth]

Juu: The deadline is midnight, Fri 17 Jan, hmm....in roughly about 2 days time. :) So yeah.... its kinda close. I'd really like to see what you can do. It would be great to have everyone submitting for the first round, so good luck! :)

And I was confused too about why Sara keep calling you Reelee...but then I read your bio and had a Homer Simpson moment. :D

[Sara]

[size=1]*pokes Juu* I can change it if you want me to. ;)[/size]

[Juu]

[color=deeppink] [size=1]lol...
I got confused between my other profiles. ^_^;;;

I'm already losing my mind. >.>' *falls over*[/color] [/size]

[Lady Asphyxia]

[color=darkred]Bwa. It was hard. >.< I was trying to write it so I could go on holidays - I've just come home today.

It [i]is[/i] really scary, cause you don't really know how people want their characters to come across. ^.^" I just sorta tried to stick to the character profiles, at least until I see how other people let their characters come across. And...you said your character was nice but quiet, so I put that in.

Hehe...it [i]was[/i] fun (except around the time when i had 151 words and no idea where to go from there...which most people I whinge to know about...) Oh, sure, I spent the entire week I was away revising it, then driving myself crazy because I couldn't get to a computor to edit the damned thing...but I'm happy with it, I've realised. ^.^

I can't wait to see the others. I wanna see how my character comes across from you guys. I haven't read your's yet, Sara,(or CWB's) because I only just got back. I will soon though...

Eh...enough talking for now...[/color]

[Charles]

Well, I edited my post. I hope it's satisfactory now.

[Mnemolth]

Its grand CWB. :D Now if only some of the others will be as kind as to put in their submissions... time is getting scarce.... :bawl:

[The Harlequin]

[font=gothic][color=crimson]My excuse is not only have I been as sick as a dog, my internet fixed itself up five minutes ago. Apologies, whatnot, who cares.[/font][/color]

[Mnemolth]

Its okies Harlequin, that's understandable. :D Hopefully, you'll be back to your menacing best in Round 2. :)

But I am rather disappointed that there has only been 3 submissions so far... that's less than half the number of players... :bawl:

If the participaion level is this low, I'm concerned about the viability of this entire enterprise.

It looks like a lot of work, it IS a lot of work, but give it a shot people. You never know, you might find it a lot of fun! ;)

[Mnemolth]

[b]Round 1 Comments[/b]

1. I must say I'm pretty disappointed with the turnout for this Round. It is the first round and I had expected better participation. I know I'm harping on this subject and I'm not sure if that's altogether a good thing. I don't want those who enjoyed the experience to be disheartened, and I certainly don't want those who, for legitimate reasons could not make a submission for this round, to forsake this game entirely.

And yet, I do want to emphasise to you that this is quite a unique game. If done well, it can be immensely enjoyable, satisfying and fruitful. This is not a 'play-and-forget' RPG, this is no insubstantial candy floss. You are all collaborating in the writing of a story. Make it something you can all be proud of.

This game needs to be in your first or second tier of priorities, not your last. Put some effort in. Bond with some of your fellow writers. Read their work and make useful comments. Help each other. Help yourself. This game is for you. Really.

For illustration purposes only, you'll find a sample of the voting cast for Round 1 during the 2001 game on the Settings page of the [url=www.roleplayingwriting.tk]RPW Website[/url]. Or for the lazy, just click [url=http://users.tpg.com.au/jackly/rpw/Stories/samplevotes.html]here[/url]. You don't have to do anything near as extravagant, and you certainly won't be getting any XPs for it, but something would be nice. :D


2. Promote the game. The more people interested in reading the stories, the more you are likely to be motivated to write them, and the more life with be breathed onto this enterprise. Similarly, early submissions give people time to read your work before the poll for the Popularity category closes.


3. Congratulations Sara for winning the Round and CWB for taking away the Popularity vote! :) The [url=www.roleplayingwriting.tk]RPW Website[/url] has been updated with your scores. Sara has moved to Scribe level on 12 XPs and will now have 2 votes. Please check the Players page to make sure everything is in order.


4. I believe some of you will be getting back to school or completing finals. Good luck!


5. Round 2 Objectives have been released. Have fun! :)


This closes Round 1. A copy of this message will also be emailed to you for convenience.

Your further comments and suggestions are welcome on this thread.

[Lady Asphyxia]

[color=darkred]In a consecutive submission, does the story have to go straight from the previous story, or can there be a time lapse and the story starts a few hours later or whatever?[/color]

[Mnemolth]

The timeline is up to you. :D So yes, there can be a lapse of a few hours. However, it is important here to realise that a person MUST be able to read Sara's Round 1 winning submission, and then the second Round submission WITHOUT feeling lost or that he/she has missed something.

In a sense this STORY has to follow directly from the previous one. But HOW that is done, how things work is up to you, what timeline to set up, etc. :)

[Mitch]

[color=red] Mnemmy, when I will I be able to finally get into this thing?[/color]

[Mnemolth]

Well, at the moment there are seven active players, so its kinda full. But many had not made a submission for Round 1, and if they still do not make a submission for Round 2, I'll have the unpleasant task of asking them to retire their characters, or at least give me a [i]good[/i] reason as to why they should stay.

We'll see what happens on the 7th when the Round 2 deadline is due. Okay? :)

[Mitch]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Mnemolth [/i]
[B]Well, at the moment there are seven active players, so its kinda full. But many had not made a submission for Round 1, and if they still do not make a submission for Round 2, I'll have the unpleasant task of asking them to retire their characters, or at least give me a [i]good[/i] reason as to why they should stay.

We'll see what happens on the 7th when the Round 2 deadline is due. Okay? :) [/B][/QUOTE]

[color=red] I got'cha mnem'.[/color]

[Mnemolth]

Since no one has really made much of a comment on submissions last Round, I'd thought I'd get the ball rolling this Round by posting some [i]very[/i] brief opinions.

My comments are just my personal opinions, so please don't take it personally or get discouraged or anything. I don't have enough submissions as it is. :)

[b]Harlequin:[/b] Good to hear from you! :) Coming in at 1600 words, I think your piece shows your style quite well. You demonstrate a good grasp of the genre and an intimate knowledge of it. You have also given your character sinew on the bones of your profile. There are some spelling and grammatical errors, but really nothing to quibble about unless you're anal about those things. However, more troubling is the lack of interaction with other characters in the story.

I know this is new to you, but unlike the other RPGs you have been involved in, this one requires you to write about other characters as well. In fact, you should cover all seven, some a little more than others, who and what the degree of difference is up to you.

You have to branch out. You may find it something hard to do, or you might not like it, but that is part of the challenge of this game. :) And also a source of a lot of the fun. The ability to write about other characters than your own.

Of course, within these confines there will be differences. Some players will concentrate almost exclusively on their characters, using the other player characters only to further the the development of their own characters. Others will do the opposite, and are likely to treat the whole party as an ensemble cast, giving each significant 'air time'. How you interact with the other player characters and how you write about them is up to you, but you must all include them in some way in all your submissions, even if its just a very quick mention of a few names in one line.

Also of note Harlequin, is that your submission is a little hard to get into. A lot of jargon and difficult words that may not serve so way in the places in which they were used. Sometimes simple is best. But hey, what would I know? :D In any case, if you've inclination, I suggest maybe you take a look at some of the things I said in the FAQ. Its on the RPW webiste.

Always remember, the writer is trying to tell a story. He is not a chronicler of events. Plot and characterisations are important, but storytelling is paramount. :)

Its a good try Harlequin. The story has a hard edge that not many of the other submission would carry, and diversity is always welcomed. So thank you for submitting. Muchly appreciated. ;)


[b]Sara:[/b] Thank you for making a submission! I was worried you might not be able to make it. As always Sara, you don't disappoint. Your writing is crisp, clear, and easy to read. Your narrative is strong, and I'm also pleasantly pleased by the switch to Reelee's perspective. :)

Improvements? Yeah. There are several I can think of, but then I'd be nit-picking. Basically it has to do with plot. Your work may be better with more creative use of plot. The staging was a little rushed. I guess you were pressed for time. :D

Again, thanks for submitting.


That's all for now folks. ;)

[Sara]

[size=1]I didn't think I was going to have time this round, so yeah. That was mostly written during my "off" time at school today; it's short and I didn't really do a whole lot... But I wanted to write something, so...there we go. ^_^[/size]

[Mnemolth]

Thanks Sara. Its nice to know you are willing to do something, even if a little pressed for time. :)

A note of caution though for you, and everyone else. :)

What you did by switching to Reelee's pespective is allowed, but only [i]just[/i]. :D Remember that one must always write with your own character featuring prominently. In your case, Xii was mentioned in a some detail, so it passes. But this is basically the limit.

I try not to restrict anyone's creativity, so I am lenient in regard to these matters, but I'm just giving a word of caution so that people don't then start focussing on everyone else's character and neglect their own. This remains an RPG, not simply a writing exercise. ;)

[Sara]

[size=1]Noted. I wasn't sure you'd allow it, but I liked the way it turned out, at least in that respect.

And on to other news... Shy! You posted! I like your "Point A, Point B" stuff. Some of your phrasing is awkward, though. [Well, some of mine is, too, but I get to pick on you.]

[b]Two-Second Summary:[/b] I love the content; it's just the punctuation that throws me off.

[b]More stuff, enjoy:[/b]

The first thing that jumps out at me is really nit-picky, but hey. I'm used to proofing, not critiquing, so here you go: Some of the punctuation just [i]bugs[/i] me.. [color=brickred]?Well, I?m not entirely sure.? Replied Burman, ?This area has.."[/color] is almost backwards. The first phrase should end with a comma, and the period should fall after [i]Burman[/i]. [[i]Replied[/i] should not be capitalized, but that follows the comma vs. period bit.] You did this a couple times, or I wouldn't have bothered pointing it out. [Bug me about it if you want the full proofing treatment some time.]

[color=brickred]...beautiful, red-haired woman wearing beautiful woman dressed in dark robes.[/color] Whoops. ;) There were a couple other "rewrite" mistakes, but that's obviously what they were, no big deal.

Okay on to the fun stuff.

I didn't even notice it at first, but your dialogue just flows from the last sentence of my piece. Very nice. It took me a while to figure out why, out of the blue, Miles was asking about name origins. _ _ I had to laugh when I realized what you'd done--Couldn't believe I didn't catch it the first time through.

I liked the way you did Xii; I guess you can learn a little bit about your character by the way other people write about him. She seems very wistful in this piece, something I wasn't quite expecting. I like the way it turned out, though, and it adds a nice level to her character that *wince* I didn't quite do in my own piece. [She isn't [i]supposed[/i] to be two-dimensional, honest!] I know it's a little overwhelming trying to write another person's character [what if they don't like it, oh no!] but as far as [i]my[/i] character goes, you did a great job.

Relee also featured rather prominently in this one--she must be easy to write for, I hope Juu doesn't mind! I honestly don't know a lot about her character since Juu hasn't submitted anything yet.

You managed to work almost everyone in there--I know it's hard. I have to scribble a checklist at the top of my notebook every time I try to write something to make sure I've accounted for everyone. Doing a quick headcount, you mention everyone's name at least once, but I don't think we hear anything from either Tylenia or Calonice. Calonice drives me nuts; I have no idea how to write for her. But until we see something from CWB, we're the ones defining that character...so I'd guess we'd better start [i]doing[/i] it.

It was fun finally seeing some of Miles. Quite honestly, I love your character. ^_^ He's very refreshing...so normal. Which, of course, makes him stick out like a sore thumb in the realm of fantasy. He gets miffed at the others for interrupting Burman, and more annoyed when people realize it. How...human.

I love some of the little things you threw in there. The girls wait for Burman to finish talking; the guys are all staring at [strike]Daja[/strike] Aud. Miles' reaction when she walks over to Burman is great. [color=brickred][i]No manners at all.[/i][/color] There's a lot we can read from that line, I love it. He didn't strike me as being the sort of person who would mutter to himself, but it just fits there so well. The idea that Aiken is on the "frontier" was a nice touch to his character, too. The area's been lived in for ages, but it's certainly not up to [i]England's[/i] standards of civilization.

[color=brickred]Miles sighed, and adjusted his glasses. He knew that this would be dangerous, but he never expected to be exiled from the town. ?Perfect. I suggest we organize this a bit, sleep in shifts. I?ll be up all night doing research anyway.?[/color] Nice ending. Again, you throw some good character stuff in there almost without being noticed. Glasses--of course. He took the job, but didn't expect life on the fringes of civilization to be [i]this[/i] bad.



I was going to comment on Harlequin's as well, but it's later than I expected...another time.[/size]