Thursday, August 30, 2012

I Came, I Saw, and Went Back to Posting on Valucre

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Good Morning Valucre!

That's right, update these things in the weee hours of the early morning, after having worked most of a night shift, and usually between going on to my next shift. If you ever wonder why these might seem a little bit off, hey you put the blog into the hands of someone who is chronically sleep deprived! Blame none but yourselves. =P

So, What's Happening Valucre?

Hummingbird is Back, and Genesaris Has Some New Assistance- So, after a brief respite, the board leader of Genesaris has made her return. In more news, because of the increasing work load and increasing IRL considerations, she has asked me to step in and help out with the day to day workings of the board. What does that mean? Well, I am going to help keep things running, handling questions, divvying out lands/cities, running events, and acting as the janitor. If you got questions or technical issues, you can come fill my PM box or hit me on Y! If you have lore related stuff, the same thing, or you can go directly to the Empress of Penguins herself. 

There is Villainy Afoot- We have a couple different people putting out feelers for potential villain groups, with an emphasis on the chaotic evil sort of villainy. If you want to be a part of something perhaps without emphasis on the organized crime sorts of things, you can check out altuzarra's thread or the one by Teddy-Son. It sounds like the latter is a bit more focused on Imperialism, but you can get the details from their threads. :) And as always, if you want a more organized take, check out OIC or The Dead. 

A Caper of Talismans- OIC is at it again, seeking to take all your talismans and make them are belong to us, and has given notice of this intent. If you always wanted one for yourself, you got a couple of options- join the cause, or do whatever you can to thwart the efforts. Check it out here, Praetorian is heading it up. 

Say Hello to Our New Friends!

Welcome, Creatorkai

Welcome, Riddle

Welcome, Skinflies

Welcome, Invie

Welcome, Skaijones

Welcome, Endlessgiver

Welcome, Caeser

Welcome, TheDreamer

Welcome, OriginalNikki

Welcome, Sakurafox

Welcome, Pyramids_ 

Only 11 this week, a good number, but not quite as many as before. 

I encourage all new folks who feel rusty or totally out of their element to check out the Tavern of Legend if they have not already! :D

Other Highlights?

Alright, since I am always such a giving person, I'll toss a couple new things your way. 

Experience- Experience and Valbullion are interchangeable, but if you want to keep track of your earnings, as well as your activity levels, you can go up to the community tab, where the second option is experience. This will show you who has most recently earned some experience, give you your activity levels, and let you look at some board statistics. You can also check out where you stand in comparrison to others, through the ranking tab. If you just want to know how much you have made recently, you can look that up inside your profile, under the Experience Tab (inside the profile!).

Submit to the Weekly Blog- That's right, our awesome administrator has made a submit form for this blog. Do you want to see something listed under what's going on, or would really like to have a feature highlighted? Maybe you have a good closing thought you would like for me to cover- hey, submit it through, and I will do my best to accommodate reasonable submissions. I cannot promise to use anything and everything (no spam threads please 0_o ) but I shoot for a minimum of three highlights, but will go to five or six should some good stuff come in. :)

Closing Thoughts?

A really good discussion on T-1 powers cropped up when someone queried about a possibly established system for gravity magic- of which there currently is not any. The whole thread has had some really great kernels of information passed on by some of our experienced folk, and I highly advise going through and giving it a read, especially if you are less experienced with T-1. However, the closing thought I was going to touch on is this:

There are a few important things to keep in mind when developing powers for T-1:

1. Make sure you understand it. The easiest people to beat in a game of logic are those who are playing unarmed. If you are trying to use skills/abilities/powers that you can't understand, you are going to be easily countered or refuted- its hard to get another to accept your attack when you aren't sure of why they should yourself. 

2. Depth and complexity can enrich potentials and possibilities, but something to complex gets crushed under its own weight. Find the happy medium- have abilities you can use easily and have flexibility, so that way you are not always relying on using heavily charged powers that might not work out. If you spend an hour trying to string together a dissertation for your closing attack, you might get pummeled away by the person using something simpler but powerful and efficient. Its fun to get into some complexity, but don't let it weigh you down.

3. HAVE FUN! Some people really lose sight of this. A good T-1 fight should be fun to write and fun to read. If you are looking forward to the next post, or have people who are enthralled with your match, you are doing something right. Enjoy the fight, produce good writing, and entertain! :)

That's what I got this week, seeya!

- Acies

Originality is not seen in single words or even in sentences. Originality is the sum total of a man's thinking or his writing.
~ Isaac Bashevis Singer



Friday, August 24, 2012

A Day Late, But Never a Dollar Short

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Salutations Valucre!

I know, this is a day late. So much for that record of staying on time. Best excuse I can offer is that I was busy doing T1, but the honest truth is- I also totally forgot. 

Anyway, just because I am a day late doesn't mean we can't still have a kickass blog!

So What's Happening Valucre?

The Great North Wants You!- Transall Abyss has been pouring blood, sweat, and tears into making the Northern Armies a formidable threat of Genesaris once more. Tired of being looked down upon, they want to flex some muscles and prove why they were once the terrors of all the lands. This group is actively recruiting people who might be interested in participating in a myriad of role-plays based on this group, and taking opportunities to bully some others around- the bullying being IC of course! 

Horror Survival RP- Praetorian has really laid the foundation for a great futuristic zombie survival RP. Not just survival however, this RP is going to be based on fighting back, taking back what is rightfully yours, and not just outlasting the hordes- but eliminating them. It looks like there is going to be a ton of flexibility and versatility in your character choices, so check it out.

Board Leader Taking a Break- Board leader of Genesaris, The Hummingbird, is taking a break for a few days or so. If you have questions or concerns about the lands, you might have to wait. However, I (Acies) do some ST cannon enforcement for the board, so if you have something related to such, you can buzz me, I might be able to help. :)

Say Hello to Our New Friends:


Welcome, Nenha

Welcome, Larko Malkog

Welcome, Starrwest

Welcome, RyuChi

Welcome, Skittythepokemon

Welcome, Evil Muffin

Welcome, Merc

Welcome, Moe_Yuri_Love12

Welcome, Spyfox31

Welcome, Altuzarra 

Welcome, Sleepy Ash


Welcome, Ian Moone

Welcome, Xavier

Welcome, Pklove

Welcome, Kizhi21  

SIXTEEN new members, this is awesome. Welcome, one and all!

Other Highlights?

Never satisfied are you? :P

Newsletter Archives- Hey, if you noticed that we do newsletter (due to the recent force read to get people to notice them ;) ), and you though they were really neat- you can dig up old ones! If you go to the Community Tab, there is an option for Newsletter Archives. These are all posted up as is, so you just start on one and keep scrolling down, or look for your specific date you want to find. :)

Groups- Keep seeing something mentioned about groups? Well now, if you have lived under that proverbial rock, you can come out into the light now, for I have answers. Groups are options you have to help put together a little forum area just for you and select members. They can be open (anyone can read and stop in and post) or closed (hidden material). They can be for specific role-plays (Zompoc), or for organizations (OIC, the Dead). It is a good place to have all your info available, make plans, etc. 

Closing Thoughts?

Ah yes, here is where I am supposed to impart some wisdom. Hard to do when you are on your third day of 3hrs of sleep, having waaaay too much overtime. :D

Let's talk about getting involved. Sometimes, I see some people struggling with this a little bit. They think that if they put up a thread, people will flock to them, and then all will be well. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you are totally brand new- you are not likely to get people joining your projects just yet. It's nothing to do with elitism or an expectation of paid dues- we just don't know you yet. We don't know if you are going to stick around, post regularly, engage with others well- all sorts of unknowns. There are times where even established members suddenly bail on others, and this really drags people down. 

If you want to get involved, I suggest- no, insist! that you scour the watercooler for threads people are asking for others to join. 99% of our members have no problem with a newcomer joining the RP they are starting- there are a few exceptions here and there, but they are rare, and will explicitly say so. This way, you get involved with RP (getting to write) and you can build up some reputation as a reliable member who engages with others well and will stick through their projects. Then, when you go to present your kick-ass idea, we will jump on it. :D

Another option as well, is to get into a group. Groups are often recruiting, and they will help steer you into some good RP. ;)

That's all I got people, seeya next week. 

Two hours of writing fiction leaves this writer completely drained. For those two hours he has been in a different place with totally different people.
~ Ronald Dhal

Thursday, August 16, 2012

A Third Update?

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ON TIME?

Hey, it was bound to happen eventually. Old Acies here, getting into some kind of a groove, getting these updates going regularly.

Not bad, considering the fact I live at work. ;)

So, What's Happening Valucre?


SUPERBIA festival- I'm going to steal their words right from them: "Renovatio is celebrating the prosperity their goddess Superbia has given them. To show their love, appreciation, and their unwavering devotion to Superbia New Martyr has been painted purple with stands filled with goods, the streets covered with amazing rides, people filling their bellies with drinks, and just complete splendor bloating the air.

Everyone is invited to join us in our moment of happiness!"

Isle of Gesen- I missed this earlier on, but they look like they could use some support. Again, I am going to let them speak for themselves: "A new land has arisen from the sea, it is a large island south-west of Genesaris. Sparsely populated by the races of the same species, it has it's own problems and conflicts but is open to strangers or travelers wandering in. A map is provided to all, as well as a wealth of information on the island's lore." Also of note, is that they are happy to have RP that does not involve the native species, but if you enter a densely populated area, you might be subject to having someone follow you around. There is plenty of additional info located HERE.

Thread Prefixes- A cool new feature (Thanks Desolate!), when creating your RP threads, you no longer have to add the status of the RP to the thread title. Instead, you can select an option of 'Open', 'Semi-Open', or 'Closed' and have it displayed with the thread, in a nice bright color to make sure others take note. The thread detailing the use is HERE.

Say Hello to Our New Friends!


Welcome, Melusine

Welcome, Liha'Irden

Welcome, Porcuman

Welcome, Arwen Piazzolla

Welcome, Juliana Shale

Welcome, .Musicality

Welcome, Rinnith

Welcome, ZappHappy

Welcome, LoveYouMadly

Welcome, JCQuiinn

Welcome, Union Sol

Welcome, TheMaelstrom

Welcome, Guretsugu

Annnnd a special warm welcome back to Circa.Cipher

That's 14 new folks in one week- with one day actually have no new people. That's two more than last week, and six more than three weeks ago. I think that's pretty damn awesome. :D


Other Highlights?


Man, you guys always expect a lot don't you? >(

Lore Tab- Hey, do you want to know more about Valucre as a whole, or more about individual areas? Hit up your lore tab, and it shall be your guide to all things Valucre. The board owners put a lot of work into getting as much information as possible listed up in there, so that everyone can find a way to contribute to the cannon. If you have any further questions, the board owners are happy to help you. :)

Calender- We have a calender! I have not seen it in much use, but it does list everyone's birthdays, for those who were willing to share that information in their profiles. If you want to give people birthday wishes, this is a good place to keep tabs on who is having a birthday! :)

Reputation- Hey, what is this rep business all about? Well, if you find someone's post particularly great- be it funny, well written, informative, or just plain cool for whatever reason that suits you- you can rep it. The more rep you have, the more posts, and the more time, the more rep you will give out. If you are ever curious to see who has given you rep or to see how much you have, just go to your settings page. The link is at the top of the page, between Log Out and My Profile. 

Closing Thoughts?


Sometimes, it can be a little difficult trying to find a way to get involved in the RP community. If you are new, you might not get responses to your RP requests, because people aren't so sure about you yet. You might feel a little bit shy about joining other people's activities as well. Well, here are three bits for you:

1. DO NOT be too shy to join something. Watch for watercooler advertisements and if something suits your fancy, ask to get in on it. Don't worry about being new- very few people will turn you away. Sometimes, the first step towards getting involved is jumping in all at once. Along this same vein, we have a thread for advertising open threads in general. Typically, these are wide open- just read the beginning (to find out what the RP is about, what they ask, etc), and at the very least the last dozen posts to get an idea where people are at now. Then jump in.

2. The Tavern of Legends is available for all new people, especially those newer to RP. There, you can get into the swing of RP in Valucre, practice T-1, learn some lore, and show off your skills. You might also make some IC connections too. :)

3. Join a group. There are groups out there like Shift, OIC, The Dead, and many others. These RP groups are often recruiting, and when recruiting, doing so heavily. They welcome all skill sets and levels of experience, and will help get you fast tracked into threads. This is a great way to get started. 

That's all I got for this week, see you next week (hopefully, lol).

- Acies.

Do you want to be safe and good, or do you want to take a chance and be great?
- Jimmy Johnson




Friday, August 10, 2012

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Heeeeeeey Valucre!


Could it be, I am updating exactly one week later? How could this be possible, the writer is keeping up on his tasks? What next, he gets back to work on the RP guide? Well, don’t push it, alright? >)

Okay, enough of breaking the fourth wall; let’s get down to it.

So, What’s Happening Valucre?


Supernal Has Returned- That’s right, anyone planning on a mutinous takeover of the site has lost their chance to see their plans come to fruition, because the admin is back and getting back into the swing of things right away.

The Order of the Black Heart- Hey, they have an opening in their select group of seven knights, and are seeking someone who wishes to play a noble sort, based on Loyalty, Compassion, and Integrity. If you like playing the good guys, you might want to check that out. Order of the Blackheart Recruitment

The Dead are Recruiting Again- The dead are a criminal syndicate who are based on positive results getting you positive gains. They claim to offer great benefits, particularly for those who have ‘brains’. The Dead

And that is about all of note, at the moment.

Say Hello to Our New Friends!


Welcome, Zeke Necroshade

Welcome, Mizzykins

Welcome, Xaeroth



Welcome, Godlyunderdog

Welcome, DukeNibs

Welcome, Teddy-Son

Welcome, Love Friction

Welcome, Hoda

Welcome, Fairess

Welcome, NoelKrelss

Wow, this was one busy week! I hope all the new recruits get situated and find themselves some quality RP to jump in. :)

Other Highlights?


Storyline Board- Hey, if you have a character whose story is growing rather complex, it might get to be a chore trying to remember all they’ve done. Well, enter the storyline board. This is where you can create a chronicle of your character’s exploits, in one easy to use location.

Notice of Excellence- See a thread that just really shines to you? Or maybe want to give a shoutout to someone you think has shown a remarkable level of improvement. Well, put them up in the Notice of Excellence thread.

Closing Thoughts?


I’ve seen this a little more lately, so I figure I will hit this one this week: Writer’s Block

Writer’s block is the anathema of all would be authors, the curse we all try to avoid as best we can. Some call it losing their muse, or just having no motivation to write. It can happen to anyone, at any time, and yes- it is highly frustrating.

So, what can you do about it?

In my experience, the bit of conventional wisdom- write anyway- actually works quite well. Now, sometimes you are really stuck when it comes to something you are trying to write well, and are nervous about mucking it up- so write something completely unrelated! It is amazing how much help it can be to write something that has NOTHING to do with the piece you want to work on- just so long as the creative juices get flowing. If you cannot think of a good subject, do something random, or look up a theme online.

Then write. Write even if it is terrible. Write even if all you are producing is silly stuff that you would never let anyone else read, lest you subject yourself to terrible ridicule and embarrassment. Write just so you are writing something.

In time, your block will lift, and the ideas will come back. :)

That’s all for this week, I’m over and out.

-          Acies

 “Writing about a writer's block is better than not writing at all”
― Charles Bukowski, The Last Night of the Earth Poems 

Friday, August 3, 2012

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Greetings, fellow writers!


A new week, a new blog, and this one is only a couple of days late. I seem to be getting at least a little better about this regular blogging routine.

Let us cut to the chase, because I am sure that no one out there reading much cares for my endless lines of excuses, and believe me, I could generate them all day.

So, What’s Happening Valucre?


Supernal is out of the office- as mentioned in the previous week, Supernal is taking some R&R, out of the country no less- lucky bastard. Anyway, my feelings of envy aside, the top man is out of the office for the week, and anything important will have to go through with one of the other admins. If you were really itching to greet the man when he came to greet you in your ‘I’m New’ thread, you will just have to register next week. :P

OIC is Recruiting, and Plans… OIC is still seeking recruitments, and is currently planning a massive undertaking. If you miss the old days of clan wars, this just might be for you. Right now, OIC looks to invade Atland, and steal the rug from beneath the group Shift. It is going to take a lot of careful planning and many characters to pull this one through, so if you want to get in on something big, here is your chance.

And… that’s kinda all I have for this week in terms of what’s new. The week has been sort of slow, and what was popular last week remains so this week. However, let’s toss in a new segment:

Say Hello to Our New Friends!


And now, I shall list the new people who have posted greetings, in the last week.

Welcome, Znagmega!

Welcome, ingénue!

Welcome, Demenyx*!

Welcome, Artemis Obauldi!

Welcome, Star Sentinel!

Welcome, Sparkydoo!


And welcome to any others who registered recently, but more than a week prior. If anyone here feels less than familiar with play by post role-playing, or less than comfortable with Valucre lore, they should try out The Tavern of Legends.

Other Highlights?

Here is your random bits for the week:

Vabullion- What is it, and how do I earn it?

Valbullion is the site currency, which you can use to purchase things from the mod shop, such as username highlighting, colors, name changes, etc. You can also get custom titles, and decorate those titles as you see fit. In the market place, you can purchase IC items that others have put up, which, without purchase, you have no access to in the IC world of Valucre. Another possible item- buying your own plot of space in Valucre, but this requires a lot of money and some support from other members.

How you earn VB (as it is commonly referred to), is through one of these possible means:

  1. Post in an IC area: You get 4pts per post.
  2. Start your own RP thread. You get 1pt every time someone posts in it, including yourself.
  3. Complete a quest for one of the board owners- this nets you VB rewards that vary, but are typically in the hundreds.
  4. Refer a new member, it gets you 30vb.
  5. Donate to the site! The more you do, the more VB you get.
  6. Take up a staff position- you get paid based on merit and based on how long ago you last asked. You also get a discount in the shop (for board items, not custom user items).
  7. Beg. Some people are nice enough to give it away. Just don’t ask for ludicrous amounts, like 6,000vb. :P

Vote for Us!
Hey, you really enjoy the site, and want to help out with its rise in popularity? Well, you absolutely can! Up at the tabs, you will find your community tab. Under this heading, is an option called- ‘vote for us’, which brings you to a page with lots of options for voting to give Valucre a boost. You may also visit our askville query, in which someone asks, where is the best RP site. This gets quite a few hits, so voting up Valucre answers is really helpful!

Closing Thoughts?


I saw a great exchange not too long ago, and thought it would make a good closing thought.

Someone asked if there is any problem with taking a character from another universe, and bringing them to Valucre- in particular, a pre-existing character from popular fiction. The examples given were something like ‘Goku’ or Hellboy. Now, the answer to that is absolutely, if that is your wish, so long as nobody else has that character already- it would be confusing to have six Gokus running around. However, while this is allowed, a thought comes up- do you really want to play the character, just solely to play the character, or because you want to pay homage to the character?

Sometimes, we just really like a character, and we would like to play with them. However, you might find that it is not the character itself you need- you are not doing a fan tribute RP in and of itself, but rather, a fan tribute to the character. If such is the case, then why not create a character who is more or less the same, with a few minor differences- such as the name. By creating something different, you free yourself up to the changes in characterization that may occur, and allow them to happen naturally, without being forced into the character’s pre-established patters.

If you worry that someone will call you out on ‘ripping them off’, put right in their character profile that they ARE a tribute character- wear the badge proudly. Most people are going to be just fine with it, if you give credit where its due. Anyway, isn’t that what paying homage is about anyway? ;)

Treat it like you are doing a cover song- some are remarkably similar, but still have a bit of the new band’s flavor added to it.

That’s my thought for today.


See you next week!

-          Acies

Wizards was my homage to Tolkien in the American idiom. I had read Tolkien, understood Tolkien, and wanted to do a sort of fantasy for American kids, and that was Wizards.
-          Ralph Bakshi
 

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