He's Alive. He's Alllliiiiiiiivvvvveeee!!!!

Hey, I thought you were dead or something... 

Nope, just been busier than a male rabbit that got into a bottle of Viagra holed up with four does in heat. I’ll leave you imaginative folks to picture what that scenario might look like and how the simile relates to the degree of my business. If you’re at a loss, I’m going to have to suggest you spend some time watching animal planet. For those of you who have a clear understanding, why come on down and read the finally updated blog!

Now, I do have some extra hired help and I hope to get in touch with them in the next couple of weeks and establish them into a more permanent role. However, since I’ve been so swamped these last few weeks, I’ve only managed to have them give you a sneak peek into what they’ll be bringing to the table. If you think my posts tend to drip with sarcasm, you’re about to get triple the servings. Whereas mine tends to be self-depreciating, ironic, or low key, these guys will be loading you up with a lot more snark. It’ll be an interesting interplay in the coming months ahead of us.

What got me held up you might ask (probably not, but I like to bitch anyway)? Sickness into midterms and moving into getting settled and then dealing with a training for myself followed by getting slammed at work and then finals week. Finals week was terrible. I’m an overachieving dipshit that only needed a 68% on one final paper and a 54% on a final project to maintain my A in the classes- I go balls out and nearly drown myself in excess work and go days without sleep to see it all done. Yeah, I pulled a 100% on the first and a 97.5% on the second, but what good did it do in the end?

Moral of the story kids- be choosy about when you decide to give it your all, because sometimes a wasted effort is just that. Fuck principles. They never get me anywhere.

Also, never listen to anything in the front half of my blog. My sincere stuff comes in at the back half.

We better just get this blog rolling. >>

What's Happening Valucre?

Fate of Biazo is in Your Hands- Biazo has befallen a terrible state- it is under siege by terrible beings known as the Unnaturals. Accursed beings who by the very definition of their existence defy all that is Gaia, these awful creatures and their leader seek to take control of everything and now, it is up to the role-players of the site to decide how they wish to intervene. Shall they stand aside and do nothing as the horde swallows up the city, bringing the city into the darkest depths of its ever-consuming maw? Or will a brave few stand up before the threat and lead the city into glorious victory, rescuing it from a fate worse than death and damnation, and purging the darkness from Terrenus before it has its chance to breathe upon the other cities. The fate of someone’s world rests entirely upon you, members of Valucre. What shall you decide?

Notice: Reporting Criminals in Terrenus- You there! Yes, you my fine fellow! Did you know that the best way to prevent crimes is to make sure that those who commit them are properly put away? True as true can be! And the best way to ensure that those perpetrators get what’s coming to them is for the common folk, such as a yourself, to turn this scourges to society in to the guard. Why, doing your civic duty in making sure criminal behavior is reported makes you a patriot- yes, a patriot and a hero! Only the best of the best will stand up for what is right and ensure that those who cannot follow the straight path are promptly put into a place where such unseemly behaviors will no longer be at issue. If you want to report something, you should come check this place out. Don’t worry, all reports will be anonymous…

Drunk and Disordly- Ever had the pleasure of dealing with someone so intoxicated that every slurred word he or she issue is all but incomprehensible? Worse yet, every other word exits their mouth amidst a volley of spittle that leaves your face covered in a layer of saliva? Yeah, well add in obnoxiousness, ill tempers and multiply that by at least a factor of ten and you will have a pretty good idea of what this poor tavern has to deal with right now. A small town out in the Cold South acquired some unwelcome guests in the form of patrons who got sloppy drunk and refuse to leave. Even worse, these sorry ingrates are the most obnoxious sorts even without the aid of alcohol, going around the neighboring towns and causing all sorts of trouble. They vandalize, harass, steal, copy down everything guards have to say to them and one even kicked a dog! Please, do the cities a favor and remove these men once and for all, before another poor pup ends up meeting the bad side of one of these brutes’ boots.

Troupe of Players- Looking for a little different style of RP? Ever thought about joining an RP as a traveling sort who acts in a troupe or plays musical instruments or something else along that like? Well, if it has been your goal to get involved in a traveling act that puts on a great show, this RP might just be one to scratch that wanderlust itch (that, or you should go get an ointment, and be careful, it might be contagious). If thespianism sounds like a good bit of fun, come audition over this way.

The Council of Geezers- A two pronged RP that has two very different roles in mind. You can either play as one of the adventure-enthusiastic youths who are prepared to journey out into the world, experience all the great experiences and meet old wise people along the way, taking the fruits of their knowledge and hopefully learning from what they have to tell. The other role is to play one of these older people, a “wise man” for the young people to collect lessons from and learn their great wisdom. If either type of role is fitting for you, go check it out!

Valucre Awards Debriefing: Still Going- Yes, they are still going. There has been some debating on what changes to make to the best new member category, but not much is being made in the way of discussion, so I am nearly prepared to move it on. The next subject coming up will cover best RP of the year and the best Hero and Villain of the year. Keep an eye out for that shift forward if that is a subject more at issue for you.

Other Highlights?

Find a Role-Play Tab:  Hey look at the very top! We have a find a role-play tab! That’s pretty darn awesome I think. Clicking it takes you to a search result with all RP threads given to you in their list of most recently posted on. 

Did You Know-  Did you Know: Sticky Threads? Hey, might be obvious to us old timers, but anyone knew ought to start paying attention now. Sticky threads are purposely pasted to the top to give them longer exposure and more importance- sometimes these threads are really big deals. Read more about it here. While you are at it, read the rest of the Did You Knows too. 

Closing Thoughts?

This is a subject that deserves some depth, but since I am limited on time today, I am going to approach it simple and briefly, or I will do so as best I can, since I never do either in my approaches. This is a subject that seems to come up a lot, sometimes in obvious ways and in other instances its relation to the conversation is a little more subtle and nuanced, but still present for the for the careful observer who chooses to pay attention. Getting to the point, what I am talking about is a story earning its way, whether that be a story earning the ending itself or earning the big climax or shift in the plot, rather than just arbitrarily tossing something out—either for the ease of doing so or to satisfy an upset audience.

Now, I am of the opinion that art should be done for the absolute sake of art and in doing so, the complaints of other people, while considered and listened to, should not alter the overreaching work of writing (or role-play itself). Should their complaints/comments/requests be of such a nature that it would alter the very essence of a story or create an unrealistic outcome, their suggestions ought to be discarded. Audiences want a story to meet their expectations for an ending (often a happy one, perhaps one also obvious and cliché) or for a dramatic shift in the story, but sometimes what the audience wants is not what the story deserves… follow me here.

If my story (or role-play) is one where the tragic protagonist is a foolish young person who always makes bad decisions, while they might be a sympathetic character, the fact remains that at some point they are going to pay for their mistakes. Sure, because we are sympathetic to that character we might hope for a positive outcome after all, but if nothing but deus ex machine is going to help that person based on where he/she is at, we should not be bending over backwards to do that. -In fact-, the story should follow its naturally logical progression and follow through with what would happen in a story where someone is so prone to chronic mistakes in a nasty world. The audience might want something better for the sympathetic character, but the fact remains—what they have brought upon themselves is not in accordance with what others want to see. We now face a dilemma- stay true to the story, or sacrifice good storytelling for keeping the others happy.

I’ll pick this subject up again at another time (perhaps next time), but the closing thought in and of itself is this: Make sure what you write as your RPs and stories come along is a habit of always ensuring things go as well as can be.  

-          Acies   

"A story is not like a road to follow … it's more like a house. You go inside and stay there for a while, wandering back and forth and settling where you like and discovering how the room and corridors relate to each other, how the world outside is altered by being viewed from these windows. And you, the visitor, the reader, are altered as well by being in this enclosed space, whether it is ample and easy or full of crooked turns, or sparsely or opulently furnished. You can go back again and again, and the house, the story, always contains more than you saw the last time. It also has a sturdy sense of itself of being built out of its own necessity, not just to shelter or beguile you."  ~ Alice Munro