Chills and Thrills...

For your spooky Halloween Update. 

Welcome to your spooky edition of the Valucre blog, the last update you get before we dive headlong into November and the anticipation of turkey and cutthroat shopping (well, sorry Canadians, your turkey day already came and went).

All the blabber aside, let's get moving forth with your blog, because further rambling would be too ghastly to entertain. :P

What's Happening Valucre? 

Valucre Holiday Contests- Those holiday contests are still accepting entries, so get a move on if you intend to enter. The Spinal Chills Writing Contest has already seen several submissions, but we'd love to see even more. Come as You Aren't has not had anything submitted just yet, but I have a feeling that as we approach Halloween, we might see pictures coming through. Jack-o-Lantern also has nothing submitted as of yet, but it's not too late to send in your pictures of your carved pumpkins. Carving a pumpkin can be hours of fun and cheap to boot, so why not?

Last Week for the Dark Festival- Last week for the festival and last chance to get in on some of the games. Looks like we've got a handful who've been having quite a bit of fun with some of these games, and because of that, I think we're going to try and cook up a few of these sorts of events a year, including a possible return of the Dark Festival. Unfortunately, the Murder Mystery fell through, but that might be due to bad PR- maybe next year. And if you have not got in on the fun, I'll make you a special deal: Send me (or the Master of Ceremonies account) a PM with the phrase "Last Minute Discount", and I will give you admission and 50 tickets for 30vb- that saves you 25 VB, and gives you enough tickets to have some fun before the close. As a note- no new activities will be started after the end date (Nov 2nd), but any activities still going with REGULAR activity will be finished through their conclusion, so that people who are actively participating have a chance to wrack up last second prize tickets. Enjoy :D

OIC is Recruiting Again- OIC is looking for an Amoral bunch of characters who not only don't mind getting their hands dirty, but relish in the opportunities to do it. OIC specializes in taking things by force, performing acts of terror, and running a legitimate business to boot. If you think your character is up for the challenge, come enjoy the weather: The Lull Before the Storm

Hex Corporation, Also Recruiting- If you have a preference for less hands on dirty work and more on the side of developing the tools for the bad guys, you might enjoy this group better. Hex provides weapons services and technology advancements, and is still looking for interested parties to help round out their organization. Build the Future...

The Dead Seek New Blood as Well- Call this an update for all the less savory types in Valucre, it seems that the different criminal syndicates are all recruiting new members. This group works on a merit based system, giving more rewards to those who put out more work and get results. If you like the idea of belonging to an organization who recognizes your deeds, this might be your cup of tea. Listen for the Whispers...

Reminder:

Starting next month, we go to one less update per month. The week of the Newsletter's publication, we will not be updating with a blog post. This means that you will only have 3-4 updates (four next month, by coincidence) per month. 

Question of the Week!

Now, I don't know if it was the offering of a much more interesting prize, or that it was a better question, that improved the turnout for this week. Regardless of the reason, I have five answers for you this week, which is five more than last week. :P 

What is your favorite character archetype and why?

The answers I received: 

1. "Token Evil Teammate". I love making characters of this archetype, solely because they are so fun to use. Offering wisdom from the gutter, and doing the things the good guy cannot, due to their code of ethics or honor. Or as Arudin says: "I am not evil! I am just... colorfully pragmatic!

2. "The Rival" is my favorite archetype to play, due to the fact that this subset of villain is rarely played, and spices up just about any roleplay without being completely debilitating or discouraging to other players. While the Rival is competitive and cocky to a fault, they're also very vulnerable and prone to mistakes out of pride, which makes them much more human than a save-the-day protagonist, but not so universally hated as a villain. They have a wide range of extremely dramatic emotions that keeps them very far from being mary sues/gary stus, which I don't like to write and people dislike reading. Some players also don't notice, but the Rival also serves as a player catalyst for protagonists to make emotional development, and for antagonists to corrupt, rather than just using stock NPC's. Most of my characters fit the Rival archetype for their adaptability within roleplay, and can fit in the storyline for nearly every plot.

3. "Shapeshifting Jester". I stopped by that list of Archetypal Characters to see how my own would fit into their categories. My conclusion is that my oldest character, Elijah is a shapeshifting jester with occasional trickster elements. I say oldest because he was among my first roleplaying characters created for other sites, and has now migrated to Valucre because I enjoy roleplaying this free-spirited combination of traits. Overall, my characters all seem to share a degree of humor woven into their personality. Sure, a few of my characters are like Erik and will stay generally serious, but even he is an entertainer by occupation. Should the mood become too dark, I'd most likely be the first one to add a (very) slight touch of fun personified to lighten the mood and potentially boost moral. That's not to say I can't be solemn when the situation demands it, I just tend not to be.

4. "Patriarch". Maybe a cheap answer because I've never actually RP'd this role (though I would like to, and I've certainly written it), but I'm going with something like the Patriarch. I like the role in terms of his kids; I don't like watching the wife get pushed around. One of my favorite characters to read and write is the self-professed all-powerful (usually single) father figure who is generally a good guy. He's maybe not always right, but woe befall you if you dare suggest it. :)

5. "The Unwilling Anti-Hero". My favorite type of character to commonly play is essentially a type of anti-hero. This character is drawn, forced, or compelled to do what is right, but not because he is a willing hero. Rather he is most likely a bitter, solitary everyday man who if left to his own devices would rather just let the world burn. However, fate decides differently, and he is forced to act, however unwillingly, for the good of all, or even take actions that at first seem to have no lasting impact, but end up having a positive effect.

Great answers this week, with plenty of information to show why. Now, if you recall from last week, we are no longer doing weekly drawings. We are doing monthly drawings for E-certificates valued at $5, or- if we get an AVERAGE of 10 answers per blog post, $10, from one of a variety of listed places. At this point, I have Starbucks, Amazon, Coolstuffinc (Trading Cards and Games), or Morgan's Etsy shop. I could probably do I-Tunes as well, for you folks with Apple products. Of course, I am open to suggestions for anything that can be done as an E-certificate. These get sent to you via email, and can be used to buy things online, or print out and redeemed in store. (Like Starbucks).

Anyway, the question.

Question for the Week: What is your favorite Villain Archetype? This could be one you enjoy playing or one that you just love reading about. Leave your comments below, or send them to me via PM. 

This is the last week for the month, so the Drawing for the prize happens next week. :)

Say Hello to Our New and Returning Friends! 

This week was an incredibly busy week! We had three new members join us and NINETEEN (yes 19) new members come by to say hi. That is an incredible amount, and needless to say, it gets me excited. (Why are you pointing that spray bottle at me 0_0)

Anyway, let's give a welcome back to:

Liha'Irden 

Noko

Oljhin Akusao 

New Members-

Welcome, A Simple Musician

Welcome, Castrael

Welcome, LaGataMeowMeow

Welcome, Flux Edger

Welcome, Ambellina

Welcome, Waki

Welcome, Palmtop Tiger

Welcome, Necro

Welcome, Darkfirewind

Welcome, Hazukilockheart

Welcome, Ace123456789a

Welcome, Sesketih

Welcome, Bonjourdaisey

Welcome, Alphatoomega

Welcome, Inari

Welcome, Oblivionguy95

Welcome, Alice

Welcome, Syshil

Welcome, Dasmaedel

Just shy of a score, that is an awesome amount of new members. In fact, I just went and checked- that is a new record! The previous record was 17, and we just beat it by two. That is awesome!

Other Highlights? 

Since I already know I am not getting out of this (ever), I am not going to bother with the begging, the pleading, giving the pity me look when I try to get out of squeezing out yet more information about Valucre. No! This week, I do it with dignity. I do it with grace! I do it because I don't feel like arguing. >_>

Subscription and Private Message Folders- Hey, do you have thirty million subscriptions like me? Do you have a mess of Private Messages that you need to keep track of for whatever reason? Ever find that these can be a jumbled mess, making it hard to dig out what should be your top priority, or locating that all important PM that is going to help you in your situation? Yeah, happens to me all the time too. That's why I use folders! A simple little feature, when you are in your settings, you'll note that in the upper left hand side, you have your PM folders for Inbox and Sent, and you have a thing for subscriptions. Well, there is a third option too- Edit Folders. This is not just for editing the folders you have- on this edit page, you have the option of creating new ones. Handy, right?

Valucre Incentive Program- Now, at some point earlier I went over some of the ways you could get VB. Well, there is an even easier way to keep track of those methods, and even look at a few I missed- go to the Valucre Incentive Program page. This lists the many different ways to earn VB in an easy to read format, making it an aesthetically pleasing way to find out how you can increase the size of your pockets. :) You can find it under the General Tab, or just click here.

Closing Thoughts? 

I’m totally borrowing this from a blog I read not so long ago, but I think it is a great thing to bring up. Sometimes (some of us more than others), we get lost in the idea that the more description something has, the better it is, and the more dressed up that language, the better the product. I admit, I've had some lapses into this and I try to do a better job of monitoring it, but sometimes as forum RP writers, we have a tendency to go overboard with our description, using what is often known as “Purple Prose”. 

It’s an easy habit to fall into, because it can quite fun to exercise it- let’s see how many different ways I can describe something as simple as an apple, and what new words I can find to do it. Go ahead and do that for a couple of moments; I bet you find that you enjoy the process of it. I don’t know what creates the allure of purple prose, but I know that it can be almost addicting, a pattern we adopt to make ourselves feel like we do a better job with our writing because we can dress it up in fancy clothing. If you stop and think about it though, it doesn't matter how fancy the wrapping paper is- if your gift to someone is a piece of dung, no amount of pretty gift wrap makes it anything more.

Now, don’t take me the wrong way- I’m not suggesting that anyone’s writing is a piece of dung, only that dressing it up in something fancy makes it no better than what it already is. In fact, you take away from it even if the gift is a nice one. You distract from the quality by dressing it up in something pretty and superficial. You may have something great, a real treasure, but if you put layers of fancy giftwrap around it, we might be too busy looking at the superficial trimmings to appreciate the beauty of the piece. 

Don’t do that to yourself. 

This does not mean you should never describe things, heck, sometimes good description can be wonderful. The trick is to use it in moderation and do so reasonably. Don’t fill half a page with text describing an apple, when a sentence or two will suffice. Don’t crack open a thesaurus and try rooting out the most archaic and interesting terms you can find, just to create a sentence full of convoluted terms and descriptors. Please do open your thesaurus and change up repetitious words, or see if there is ONE WORD you might use to liven up the piece, and make sure you use it correctly. This can help expand your vocabulary, and make things interesting. 

Multiple sentences of words we've never heard of are just going to backfire on you. 

Now, don’t beat yourself up if you've done it yourself- I've been there, and sometimes I have to remind myself to tone things down. I enjoy wrapping up the prose and trying to make it look pretty, but it is too easy to go overboard. Keep the description reasonable, and you’re on your way. :)

That’s my closing thoughts for the week, take care everyone!

- Acies

I write scenes - often quite long scenes - mainly because I still get seduced into writing six lines where one and a half will do.

~ Tom Stoppard 

Oops, I Did it Again...

I played with your heart, got lost in the game… and please shoot me now; I’m quoting Britney Spears lyrics. 0_0

Yeeeeahhh, I must ask a thousand apologies for missing the blog last night, I really don’t have a good excuse for it. I got tied up in helping a patient with some computer work the night before, and after having him talk my ear off for another couple hours after, I totally forgot I had to work on this thing! Of course, I am just making excuses for what really comes down to being a case of being a space-case. Guilty as charged, I’m good with excuses.

It explains why my Grandmother bought me this shirt: I have a million excuses,which one do you want to hear?

Anyway, all that aside, let’s get on to the real stuff- on to the Valucre Blog!

What's Happening Valucre?

Valucre Holiday Contests- Whoooweee, Morgan has been busy, working on cooking up some fun ways to get this holiday season kicked off. Since Halloween is around the corner, we have a few different options for prospective VB earners to get in there and take a prize:

Pumpkin Carving Contest: Do you have an artistic flair, and love to express that through the mutilation, er, carving of squash? Well, show us what you got with our Halloween Jack-o-lantern contest. This one ends on Halloween night and carries a prize of 200vb. :)

Come As You're Not: This is a contest open to only our 18+ members, done so for possible legal concerns. We apologize to those who are too young, but you're still welcome to show off in the Pictures of Us thread, should you have something you really want to share. Anyway, this contest is a photo sharing contest, where you put on your best and show us just how different you can look. There will be a first, second, and third place prize, determined via poll. The last day to submit shall be November 1st, and the poll will go for five days starting on the 2nd.

Spinal Chills: Alright, this is our writing contest, the one we really want to promote. This is open to any form of writing, from a short story to a bit of poetry, and must be submitted by October 30th. There will be a vote off from that time, in which a first, second, and third place winner shall be determined, each awarded a trophy (the little awards some people have on the side of their posts ;) ). There is also a VB reward for each, and no limit to your number of entries, although you can only win one place. The highest voted submission you have shall be taken and your others removed from the running, once all votes are tabulated. We're looking forward to what people come up with. Please SUBMIT all entries via PM to Morgan. Thank you!

Genesaris Quest: Monsters Under the Sea- A new quest has risen from the depths, this one sponsored by Port Town. I'm going to use the quest generator's own words to describe: 

"The College of Horticulture is searching for able bodied persons willing to recover an artifact of unknown power. This artifact, a trident carved from chalcedony, was recently unearthed from the ruins of an ancient coastal temple formerly built in Luquura's honor. 

Unfortunately, after the artifact was removed from its place at the temple's ruins, disaster struck. Members of the original expedition party were reportedly attacked by sea pirates while trying to transport it back to the college. Little is known about the attackers, but the resonance of magic on the trident was strong enough to be traced. The trident is now believed to be somewhere on the shallow sea floor, but all attempts to recover it have failed. Violent attacks from wild animals, surprisingly even that of a kronosaurus, have made the location extremely dangerous.

Those willing to aid in the recovery of this trident for greatly needed study will be amply rewarded. Each member will be paid 52 platinum pieces (as well as 50vB) if they are successful in returning this artifact, and an able ship will be provided by the college. Those interested should seek out Professor Spiridon, who is currently making arrangements for the expedition at the coastal ward of the college."

Putting the Dead to Rest: Officially Kicking Off- Orisia Isle's efforts to take back their tainted woods and rid themselves of a zombie scourge have begun, and if you enjoy having a chance to chop down zombies, this might be the rp for you. It's an open event for anyone, one that is sure to generate some quality writing and interesting experiences. Some of the undead might even be played by the players, giving a bit of a unique perspective to this role-play. ;) Express your interest here: HELP!!! 

The Dark Festival Continues- It's not too late to join in the fun with the Dark Festival, taking a chance to participate in some goofy games, socialize in a general RP social lounge, and if you hurry- participate in a murder mystery with a good sized VB prize at the end. You can check it all out here: The Dark Festival

Announcement: In an effort to keep from overwhelming you guys with reading material, beginning in November, the Weekly blog shall take one week off per month, the week that your monthly Newsletter comes out. Typically, this is planned to be the third week of a month, but if in the event you see a blog pop up during the third week, you can expect that the blog shall be on a break week in the following week. :)

Question of the Week!

I am deeply saddened by this (really, I am), but I had ZERO answers. Perhaps I came up with something too complex, or maybe the idea was a terrible one- I don't know! What I do know is, I had no responses, therefore, I have no winners. There shall be no prize this week. Sadness, much sadness.

Announcement: Now, I've done some thinking. I realize that not everyone is motivated by Valbullion- some people can use it, others not so much. There might be occasional fun prizes I might be able to offer pertaining to events, but that only works so well too. So, once again, I am going to be fickle and change up how I am doing this: We are going to do once a month prize drawings, in which the winner will get a gift certificate to his or her choice of a set place. The amount will be $5- hey, it's coming out of my pocket ><- but, if I get an average response of 10+ people to the each question per blog, I will up that to $10. 

How does it work- every time you drop an answer, you get entered. If you answer for all three blogs (or, in weeks we have 5 Thursdays, 4), you have 3 (or 4) chances to win. If we get a great turnout, what you could win is even bigger. 

So what is offered at this point? So far, I have decided on: Starbucks, Amazon, Coolstuffinc (Trading Cards and Games), or Morgan's Etsy shop. If you know of places that will send out gift certificates via email, feel free to suggest them in the comments, via PM to Acies, or in the Blog thread.

Drawings happen on the first blog of each month, and prizes follow as soon as I can get a working email address from you. :)

Good luck!

Question for the Week: What is your favorite Character Archetype to RP, and why? There are numerous types out there, but here is a good list to get you brain storming: Archetypal Characters

You can borrow one from the list, or you can explain your own. 

Answers go to the comments, Valucre board PM, or IM. Thank you folks! 

Say Hello to Our New and Returning Friends!

So, I am running a day late on the blog, but for the sake of consistency, I am going to cover new members for the normal time frame- Thursday to Wednesday. That means if you registered yesterday, I'll catch you next week. :)

Returning Members:

Eternity- welcome back from your brief leave, and congratulations on the new baby!

Morgan- welcome back from your brief departure, hope all goes well for you! 

Zenophoenix- glad you decided to come back to the fold!

Renaryu- Manning up with Valucre, Yesss. Welcome back!

Our New Friends: 

Welcome, Objective

Welcome, AlucardRedrum

Welcome, KnightinShiningArmor

Welcome, Kolrim

Welcome, Alexandria, The Dragon

Welcome, Jianichie Korigashine 

Welcome, Psyche

Welcome, xxChikaxx

Welcome, Armin

Welcome, Juandirection

Welcome, Ernspiker

Welcome, LittleRaeofSun

Alright, 12 new members, a good number, and FIVE returning members- that's outstanding! Welcome to the site everyone, welcome back to the others. :D

Other Highlights? 

See, here I thought you might have forgotten about this, since I was running a day slow with the blog. Of course you didn't; you're still standing there with your hand open and that evil look in your eye. Yes, yes- I am digging it out! Sheesh. >_>

Valucre: Writing Tips and Tricks- This is a nice little put together from Carlos, with some tips for writing on the forum and ways to improve your writing. This section is just full of little tasty nougats of goodness, and you might find something really helpful to you. Check it out here: Tips and Tricks 

Report a Post: Have you seen a post that just did not fit where it was posted? Or perhaps the content was offensive? Or how about role-playing in the canon world, and you see something that is a gross violation of established canon (someone claiming to be the mayor of a city who already has a mayor, etc)? Well, you can report those, and those in the leader positions can get on top of taking care of situations. As for canon issues, we use those warnings to tell us that we need to go in and perhaps do some Defense of Canon integrity. You can report a post by clicking on the Triangle button next to your star-shaped Rep button :)

Closing Thoughts?

Today, let's think about posting consistency and communication about or ability to contribute. Now, I hope no one I write with suddenly thinks I am singling them our (of course I am! j/k :P ), but instead, I am just discussing this in the general sense. After all, in the Play by Post role-play world there are often times where someone ends up missing, or posts quite slowly, and a thread loses steam, people lose interest, and the role-play dies. 

Now, we understand- people have lives outside the forum- I of all people understand that! What is important though, is being upfront and honest with the people you role-play with: I can post this many times per week. If I end up missing for a day or two, it might be related to this, and that is why I got delayed. 

That is a good example of communication that should be taking place between people who are writing together. Be honest about what the other party is going to get from you, and make sure that that works for them as well. If things come up, do your best to let someone in that group know, as soon as you reasonably can. This is one of those respect things- be respectful of your fellow writer and don't waste their time. Post when you say you can, be honest when you absolutely can't, and avoid dropping out entirely. Sometimes, people can work around that and life goes on and all is well. Sometimes, having one person who was wound deep within the plot may be the execution of that story-line, one others were enjoying a great deal. 

The whole point of this little discussion is just to get across how important it is that we treat each other decently, and realize that we may have a profound affect on a person if we do poorly with our timeliness and honesty. We all (or should) understand health troubles, but anytime you have the ability to give a head sup  you should :)

Sorry that this blog is a bit short, but I am on my second day of less than 3hrs of sleep, and my sleep prior was nothing to write home about either. :P 

Have a great week folks-

-Acies

Writing has laws of perspective, of light and shade just as painting does, or music. If you are born knowing them, fine. If not, learn them. Then rearrange the rules to suit yourself. 

~Truman Capote 

Valucre: The Final Frontier

These are the writings of a collection of role-players, dedicated to the pursuit of quality role-play.

Their ongoing mission: To explore new plots, to build upon and evolve existing canon, to boldly go where no role-play has ever gone before!

Welcome to another edition of the Valucre blog, one more than willing to flaunt the use of a split infinitive in the interest of flavorful introductions. Grammatical lessons aside, let me say thank you for reading these wonderful editions- I enjoy writing them, but it's soooo much more satisfying when you know that at least one person is taking time to read them. Now, with the shameless posterior osculations out of the way, let's get on with this blog! =D

What's Happening Valucre?

Honor Among Thieves- Taken directly from a submission:

Have a penchant for pilfering pockets? Can you con a crowd out of their hard-earned cash? Does a lock practically pick itself to let you lift its loot?

If yes, then the Thieves Guild might be right up your alley. Running out of the cellar of the Cloak and Dagger, a tailor shop in Patia, con-artists, crooks and all-around ne'er-do-wells will be gathered into an elite force of organized burglary. The goal? Grab all the loot you can carry, and don't get caught. There will be a variety of marked theft missions, as well as free-range robbery challenges. Let all of Valucre fear the Thieves Guild-- your riches are soon to be ours.

For Honor and Riches, Click Me!

New Quests in Genesaris- The Hummingbird has heard her regular role-players loud and clear: they want to see more quests. In pursuit of giving the people what they want, The Hummingbird has been hard at work developing new quests and rewards for adventurers to seek. Many more have been added and more are yet to come, with a variety of missions available to suit any need or fancy. Some offer plentiful VB awards, some rare and unique items, and a couple even offer vessels. If you are seeking some role-play opportunities and the easiest way to have an impact on canon, then come check out the new quests. 

Seek your glory, Click Me!

Genesaris Board Event: A Dark Festival- Have a taste for the macabre, a penchant for darkness? Well then, this event is certainly for you. Headed up by myself (Acies), with the support of many Genesaris contributors, we are putting together an opportunity to get involved in a massive RP event, meeting new characters, participating in risky games, and the chance to win great prizes. Strange attractions, places to socialize and two different contests await. What does it take to be involved? A 15vb admission fee and perhaps a fistful of tickets (1vb each). You can easily earn this back via posting, and possibly more with the prizes that away. Let's look at some details:

Murder Mystery: A regular has been murdered, and the owners have narrowed it down to 10 suspects. Given their busy schedules, they have decided to let some of the fair goers get to the bottom of this mystery. The first person to successfully identify the murderer takes 25% of all Vb made during the events- so what you see on The Master of Ceremonies hand, you get 1/4 of that take. The larger it grows, the better your take. Only, there is a twist- the sleuths can hinder each other! Steal clues to get ahead, or murder the competition (NOT PERMANENT CHARACTER DEATH) and take all their stuff. You get items to help you in this, but the question is- do you play like a cutthroat, or work with a trusted friend and split the prize? You decide.

Costume Contest: Hey, another party setting for your characters, this a big dance bash that only requires a costume to get in. Go into detail about the look of your costume (provide pics if you wish) and at the end of events, we'll pick out the three coolest ones and put it up for vote from all Festival participants. 1st place gets 30vb, while the runner's up get 10vb. Not a great deal, but a little extra for no work at all. What will you where?

The Midway: Here is where you blow the tickets. Various games take place, including spook houses, guessing games, games based entirely on luck and even a Whack a Zombie. Some are based on entertainment- like getting your fortune told! Prize tickets are later cashed in for prizes or VB reimbursement. Some games carry risk, so beware!

The Attractions: These events are all free, and a place for characters to visit and react. Less about social interaction and more focused on giving characters a chance for reactions, introspection, and conversation among others in relation to the things scene. We've got an execution tent- complete with a splash section! (ew). We have an undead petting zoo, and the weirdest damn circus and magic show you will ever see. Check it out, hope you aren't prone to nightmares. 

Alright, I admit, I totally just abused my position to advertise this, but all proceeds go towards Genesaris quests, and  a lot of work went into this. 0.o

The Living Caverns- Late entry, but this request came in a few minutes ago, and I didn't want the person to have to wait another week for this to get exposure. This is a fantasy based... well, not survival, but more like, slow death RP, where all characters joining this event, save one, will die. You will be playing someone who was part of a legion of soldiers whose luck went a bit awry, when they ended up inside the maw of some strange creature, forced to explore its innards while fending off various undead. Only the final person shall survive, but this RP is certainly a unique one and one that could end up being a great deal of fun- think of it as focusing not on the surviving or winning, but producing some good characterization while playing someone doomed to die.

You can find the write up here: A Lovecraftian Horror

Question of the Week!

Hey, we had a better turn out this week. I received six responses to the question:

"If you could meet any one character from Valucre (other than your own), who would you want to meet, and why?"

The answers given were:

1. Randy or Michael Tullin. (Brothers)- "Hands down. I mean people swim with sharks just for the thrill, because of the feeling of danger and the rush they get from it. Could you imagine standing toe to toe with a Tullin, completely incapable of doing anything to stop them if they whimsically decided to off you? Now that is a rush."

2. Roen. "I haven't RP'd with him too much, but he seems like a very complex dude with a well-thought out and potentially engaging back story. Evil, maybe? But not completely? I don't know. So I'd like to meet him and find out. Seems like the kind of guy you could have a martini with, under the right circumstances."

3. Raspberry DuGrace. "She has a childish humor to her that's pleasantly infectious, and is adorably innocent and curious."

4. Herbie the Sage. "I'd ask for some tricks and words of wisdom from one of the greatest men in Terrenus. He is history and lore, and legend."

5. Odin Haze (Present Odin, not Past). I want to meet Odin because he's a very good, kind, enlightening person, basically Valucre's version of Jesus. In the past he was cruel, but I want to meet him as he is now, not what he was. Not that he's a complete pacifist  he'll still protect his people and land, but that just makes him more likable. 

6. Jericho. He's very friendly, and because of all he's been through, I'd love to just chill with him and listen to all his stories. Plus I would love to pet the golden retriever and the horse whom hang around him occasionally.

And the winner?

Drum roll......................................................... 

Ayden! Congrats, 50vb coming your way upon publication. 

Now, my personal answer (for any who might care :P )- Chivika. After role-playing with that guy, I am just cannot help but laugh at his perpetually happy attitude and ability to make anyone smile. Seriously, the guy is happier and more cheerful than someone who swallowed an entire bottle of Prozac. Some cheerful people get to be a bit much, but he has this way of rubbing on ya. ^_^

If you want to see the effects of excessive Prozac consumption, I present the following exhibit for your consideration.

This Week's Question: Alright, I am doing a bit of a... different sort of question, to see if we get some interest- and because it seems like fun. 

Think of one of your favorite past RPs- one that either made it to completion or at least went for a decent length of time (had plenty of content). If that role-play became a motion picture (movie, TV episode, etc), what would be its soundtrack?

Let's shoot for 3-12 song range (Minimum to have an actual list, a max to keep the blog from becoming an hour long read lol).

The prize: Random winner once again, but this week, you get a choice of prizes:

50vb as usual
or
120 tickets to the Carnival (a 100vb value!)- see how hard I am pushing that? :P

Say Hello to Our New and Returning Friends!

Well, I saw no old friends drop a thread saying they have returned, so I have no one to greet. Let's get to our new friends, shall we?

Welcome, Dyiah

Welcome, Ir3x

Welcome, WhisperSound

Welcome, StrikerDown

Welcome, Hawkeye

Welcome, Nariatheberzerker

Welcome, Archer1191

Welcome, Clay

Welcome, Jenavampire

Welcome, Uurwerk

Welcome, Perascamin

Welcome, Solace Graves

Another week, another batch of a dozen new folks. Welcome one and all, I hope each of you find a place in our cozy little home. 

Other Highlights? 

Seriously, I am running out of things to cover here. Pretty soon, I am going to have to repeat myself, and that is going to make me feel guilty. Is that what you want, to make the editor feel guilty? Yeah, what I thought. Here's your highlights. =(

Valucre the World- Hey, we have lore pages for each of the lands, which are pretty damn cool and helpful, but what of the world of Valucre itself? Ever wonder how large it is, or where the lands are in relation to each other? Well, we have a page just for that. Check out this lore page, which has many answers to those many questions you might have: Valucre the World.

FAQs- So, you might have some questions that have yet to be answered. If you've been on the site more than a year, chances are- you'll know all the frequently asked questions, but for those of you who haven't made it around the block yet, we have a page that answers some of those common questions. If you want some answers about the role-play forum, check out this page here. On the bottom, there is some info on using your blogs, as well as some info that might not be so relevant to you, but if you like reading- feel free, by all means. :P

Closing Thoughts?

If you've read more than a few of these, you'll notice a theme: I often write a closing thought based on something I've seen going on inside Valucre- good or bad. 

This week, I want to tackle the label 'Literate'.

Literate: 

1. a : educated, cultured

    b : able to read and write

2. a : versed in literature or creative writing : literary

    b : lucid, polished <a literate essay>

    c : having knowledge or competence <computer-literate> <politically literate>

As you can see, the very first definition of literate is that someone has had an education sufficient enough to teach them how to read and write. Anyone who has at least made it to high school should have the framework for literacy- you can pick up documents and read them, and you can write with all the basic writing principals. It can also mean someone who has read or studied literature, and has the ability to polish up there work- anyone who has made it at least through the first half of high school should have some degree of ability in that. We learn how to write up our work and then revise it- it's all part of the normal process. 

Therefore, if you have had an education, you are literate.

Yet, sometimes we have people who transplant from one role-play site to ours, and they carry with them the terms 'Literate', Semi-literate', and 'Illiterate'. They use these labels to identify who typically writes paragraph style role-plays, those who write about a paragraph of content and those who do what are sometimes called- "One Liners"- short role-play posts with only one to two sentences. All three of these formats involve some form of writing, and the ability to put together a cohesive sentence that anyone can read and understand is in and of itself- literacy. It does not matter if the work is a long and expressive masterpiece, or a short addition to a fast paced role-play. Sure, one has more substance than the other, but none of these styles makes someone illiterate. 

Now that we've established that literate vs illiterate is poor terminology, let's take this another step forward: 

Why use labels?

Labels can be useful, in that we can group things together for the purposes of organization or similarities, but I find that most often, when we apply labels to people, it does more harm than good. Identifying yourself as an illiterate cheapens the value of your writing and the contributions you could make, and calling someone literate might appear to be putting someone on a pedestal, which can cause feelings of resentment from those who are not labeled that way, and a lack of desire to improve and grow as a writer for someone who is known as being literate. When you've earned the label that defines you as the best there can be, it really detracts from the motivation to improve. When you carry the label that marks you as someone on the bottom, it can make it really hard to even try. 

Forget labels! Labels hurt, they poorly identify people, and they do little to no good- let's not define ourselves based on the quantity we write or the 'level of skill' we have in our writing- let's realize that we are all:

People who are members of a great site

People interested in Role-play

People who role-play through writing

People who create through our writing and contributions

Hey, notice a common word up there?

PEOPLE

We are all people. We are all members. We are not literates, semi-literates and illiterates- NO! We are all people with similar interests and pursuits. Toss out these identifiers that separate us and embrace what makes us common. We all have unique things about us, sure, but that uniqueness makes another person interesting, not different. In the end, we are all people pursuing a mutual hobby, with similar goals. Yes, we are all people, and we are all Valucreans. :)

I hate labels, let's focus on what we are as individuals and as fellow members, not silly identifiers. Anyone on the site can read and write- and even though the level of talent varies, we all have room to grow, and no one is too good or too poor a writer to be beyond improvement.

That's my closing thoughts, I'll see you all next week-

~Acies

“If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.” 

~ Martin Luther

There's No Debating It...

...Writing on Valucre is Awesome =D

Alright, welcome once again to your weekly installment of the Valucre blog. Seasons are changing, political windbags are debating, and if you are like me- you can't wait for all this to blow over. Fortunately, this blog takes no political affiliation (except to poke a little fun at both sides), so we're going to ignore all that bothersome stuff. Instead of worrying about what guy said this or what that other guy said before, we're going to look ahead at the great things coming for Valucre. 

If you're reading, you are getting a sneak peak at something soon coming to the Watercooler, but may not show until about this weekend. ;)

Onward!

What's Happening Valucre?

Zelda, the Role-Play- Looks like our ever creative members are currently brainstorming a way to create a unique take on the Zelda canon to create a fun and innovative role-play taking place inside the Kingdom of Hyrule. I'm personally an old fan of the Zelda games, so this sparked some nostalgia for me when I started following along. They have some great ideas going on, and if this would be your sort of cup of tea, you should head over to the Watercooler thread, located Here: Hyrule Interest Check

Who Wants to Loot a Volcano?- Can't say I'd personally ever go out of my way to loot the contents of a volcano, but should this be up your alley, former Storyteller and talented writer Blue Shoelaces has started up the interest check for this undertaking, and will be playing NPC's (and possibly the volcano) in effort to make things interesting, challenging, and fun. This one will be taking place inside Ursa Madeum, and you can volunteer for the quest here: Volcano Looting?

Hex Corporation: War for Sale- A globalizing company in pursuit of more ambitious goals, the company is working on pushing their image of a clean and friendly organization while still providing the same black market goods as before. At this time, the head (Macabremarionette) is looking for some new people to volunteer for positions inside the organization. If you like these sorts of things, you can check it out over here:  War for Sale

The Black Spider- Now, me personally- I have no qualms with spiders. They do their own thing, eating the bugs in my place that drive me nuts. Now, other people (including the other half) seem to have this unfair prejudice against them, and this leads to mass exterminations. It looks like that this will be another such case, as a Giant black spider has become the focus of discussion inside Morgana city. The spider took up residence in one of their mines, and now the operations have ceased until the pest is removed. If you would love an opportunity to squish this giant bug, you can head over to the interest check here: Spider!

Question of the Week!

Well, it seems the promise of VB only does so much to win people over to a cause. I received two answers this week, and naturally- one person was the winner. Last week's question was- "If you could visit any one place inside Valucre, where would you go?"

The answers given were:

The Cold Mountains: To see the mage storms in person.

Martyr of Renovatio: It's Final Fantasy Styled. It's literally a city in the sky, and it does not get as much reputation as it should.

The winner of this week's 50vb: Alexei, congrats. 

This Week's Question- If you could meet any one character (Other than one of your own) from Valucre- be they a player character or a major NPC- who would you like to meet? Why?

This could be interesting, if people would answer!

Alright, this week, the prize is 50vb once again, but next week, there will be something different. ;)

Say Hello to Our New Friends!

No old friends renewed this week, so on to our brand new friends! 

Welcome, Dogai

Welcome, Porros

Welcome, Gamelord

Welcome, Anabella.lee.ann

Welcome, Critias

Welcome, Nalakathleen (Been registered, but put up a meet and greet thread this week)

Welcome, SumilSakabato

Welcome, Diaeren

Welcome, Evilmonkeys

Welcome, Albedo

Welcome, JadeCrowe

Welcome, Justscream540

Welcome, Ascendinglonewolf

Twelve new friends for this week (and one to come meet and greet :P). That's a good number, let's keep it up.

Other Highlights?

Once again, you expect me to go find two or three things I have not actually spoken about yet and then bring them to your attention. Seems like this relationship is getting really one sided, no? Okay, okay, you win. Here's a couple new highlights for you. Now put the belt down. >_>;;

Valucre Incentive Program- So, I hear you'd like to earn some extra VB here and there, so you can do cool things with your username, and brag to all your friends about how much e-cash you have. :P Well, you're in luck. Beside good old fashioned hard work, we have a few other methods of getting the vb. If you go up to the General tab and then select Valucre Incentive Program, it will give you a list ways you can earn some extra valbullion. 

Universal Colosseum- If you are someone who loves to do T-1 (textual battling), then we have just the section for you to put those in, when they have nothing to do with an ongoing story- sometime,s just beating the heck out of someone can be so much fun. So, if you want to get into a non-story based fight, take it down there, where it will get better attention, and can easily find a judge if need be. 

The Special Spoiler?

Yes, now is the time to give you, the regular reader, a sneak peak of a major event on its way as we speak. Inside the lands of Genesaris, we will be hosting a massive event involving the dark, strange, and the macabre. There will be tons of opportunities for posting (both long and short) as well as a major contest- with a big prize. The theme largely ties in with Halloween, and will last 2.5-4wks. Stay tuned, I hope to have it up soon. 

I hope you aren't afraid of clowns. ;)

Closing Thoughts?

This one goes out to all our newer members out there.

It is a bit of a rehash on a subject I did several blogs ago, but seems like a good thing to bring up again, only this time it is going to focus on something slightly different. Today, I am going to talk about the trepidation that come with being a new member, and fearing the need for a detailed and lengthy character sheet prior to even jumping in.

You don't need to be nervous. Very few people bite, and most who bark do some only in jest anyway. When you first enter Valucre, you should not live in fear of the process in which you get integrated- heck, this is what the Tavern of Legends was made for- helping people get into the role-play on the site. Beyond that, if you find a thread with the tag "Open" in its name- don't worry about character sheets, permissions or anything else- open means open, and it allows any canonical races found in that area. If you have a special race, you might want to run that by the thread author first. Otherwise- feel free to dive in!

There is no better way to get some RP then by jumping in all at once, getting over the shock of the cold (in this case, being new), and then learning to enjoy yourself.

Remember, sheets are rarely required, and certainly are not as a general rule.

All I got for this week, see you next week folks!

~ Acies

"Don't loaf and invite inspiration; light out after it with a club, and if you don't get it you will none the less get something that looks remarkably like it."  

~Jack London