Who Actually Wants to Get Up Then?
Seriously, getting up in the daytime? My circadian rhythm is
about ready to do a table-flip, it’s so mad at me. Granted, I’m naturally a
night-owl sort and I have grown very used to getting up late evening or in the
afternoons, depending on how my schedule rolls. Getting up early in the day to
go to work during normal business hours? Yeah, my body is about ready to throw
a fit. It’s my excuse of the week for why the blog is sort of lackluster, with
the change in schedule the reason why it’s late (that I had no control over).
Let’s cut to it and have ourselves a blog.
Let’s cut to it and have ourselves a blog.
What's Happening Valucre?
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| It's beautiful on the inside! Stop being so judgmental. |
In addition to that, people can also expect a thread going up that specializes in the simulated battle arena, only rather than just sparring with each other or the bouncer for kicks, you will spar with the bouncer while learning the *basics* of T1. This area will not promise anything of the sort when it comes to becoming a “Good” T1-ist, but instead will help you learn the basics and get to a point where are capable of fighting in T1 based battles or spars. In the future, other entries into the battle simulator will have its own thread, so you can spar it out without having your posts get lost in the mix with other tavern activities.
The other big piece of news regarding the tavern is you can expect tavern related quests to be coming soon. They will be shorter and require less work, serving as like an introduction to questing inside Valucre. Given that they are easier quests with less posting requirements, they will pay less than the standard quest as well, but it will be an early way to accumulate some VB while you still get a feel for the site. If you want to check it out, click this button.
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| Where was that front door? |
The city’s lowest tier is made up of a rabble population consisting of criminal gangs and the very poor. Lawfulness exists in low quantities here, with much of the ‘justice’ and regulation carried out by the roving gangs. The middle tier itself holds the humans and consist of business owners or other successful people, this middle class enjoying many luxuries and comforts. The upper class are elite vampires who rule the city, overseeing laws and politics.
The city also has a well-developed Watch consisting of three different types of troops, each with their own abilities and special status. Vanguards are entirely human, a troop consisting of highly skilled warriors and some magic users, a position some children grow up dreaming of one day occupying. The Carmine Elite are assassins and knights made of only vampires, highly efficient and deadly in their tasks. The last are the High Inquisitors, magic using vampires who only answer to the king. They are so rare that many people have not even seen one in their lifetime.
The city is new and the is already a wealth of lore available to you—go read it!
| Disclaimer: We cannot promise you will look this cool. |
A snippet on the "Blood War": The Blood War had been raging for millennia now, a battle that spanned entire planes and saw the logical Baatezu, red skinned devils, pitted against the chaotic and daemonic Tanar'ri. In the world of the immortal though, time held little meaning, and so new recruits were hurled into the fray, like kindling for the fire, with each passing day. Amongst these fiends, however, there were some creatures so savage, that their very presence was used to shock enemy outposts into submission; beasts bred for bloodshed and victors of a thousand campaigns. It was these monsters that Malice first encountered when he too decided to dabble in their domain, though in him they found their match; for he was an adversary without fear, a warrior without compare that slew with unparalleled skill.
Rather than destroying those he defeated though, the Great Devourer bound them to his banner; forging a legion from the most seasoned scum the Daemons had to offer. In the years that followed, Malice's army cut a bloody swathe across the planes, conquering entire nations with his new found strength; but history would always remember the day that a juggernaut held their ground, refusing to flee before ten thousand jaws.
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| These look... fabulous! |
Currently, Witch is heading up a pirate Team who will be attacking Coastal Grande, a hard to beat place with high reward potential. Bradapalooza will be heading up the guard defense with some allies over in Kuratel. If I recall correctly, his roster is full, so you can’t fight with him, but you can fight against him. ;)
New Members!
- What brought you to Valucre? How did you find us?
Through the top RP sites list. Valucre was among the top 3. :) - What got you into role-play? What are your favorite types (genre, style, etc) of role-play?
I was a long-time RP-er and moderator in various sites, I have RP in both chat and play-by-post style. :) My favorite style is play-by-post, genre? I enjoy most kinds of fiction, from sci-fy to fantasy, from grimdark to fluffy rainbows. - Do you have any long-term goals related to role-play and/or writing? If so, what are they?
Yes! Since English is my 2nd language, RP-ing means a lot in honing my English to fluency, also I am a writer at heart and I love to unleash my imagination through Roleplaying. - What are some of your other hobbies and/or interests? What is one interesting thing about you that others might not expect when they first meet you?
I love video games, 3rd person shooters, and fighting games. Hmmm... something unexpected from me? Some people told me that they didn't expect English is my 2nd language. - How has your Valucre experience been so far? What do you like, and is there anything we can do to help you (as staff or fellow members)?
Absolutely terrific! Wunderbar! I have everything sorted out here. The community is active, friendly, amazing and the staffs are helpful and truly act like leaders and mentors, not bosses. :)
- What brought you to Valucre? How did you find us?
Nogusta talked to me about this place and told me to check it out, that I might find it interesting. - What got you into role-play? What are your favorite types (genre, style, etc) of role-play?
I write a lot, usually in french and mostly novels but I think it is always good to practice a language when it isn't your mother tongue so role-play is a good way to work it out. I like many different styles but I think psychological evolution all through a story is the most important. I am into fantasy a lot, ancient style or futuristic. - Do you have any long-term goals related to role-play and/or writing? If so, what are they?
I have writen a few novels in french. There is a series I am trying to finish but having a kid and being back to school doesn't leave me a lot of time. However, whenever I have some time for myself, I am writing or drawing. As for role-play, I do it for fun mostly in my free time. - What are some of your other hobbies and/or interests? What is one interesting thing about you that others might not expect when they first meet you?
Chess, Martial Arts, Science, Meditation, Home Décor, Cooking, Playing Pool, Drawing, Singing, Taking pictures, Gaming, Artistic Make-up, etc... Many more actually, I am interested in almost everything. - How has your Valucre experience been so far? What do you like, and is there anything we can do to help you (as staff or fellow members)?
So far I've only had the chance of sharing some of my art. I was out of town so I didn't spend a lot of time around here. I expect to be participating to some role-play whenever I get the chance. I like how active this site seems. I had many people giving me warm welcomes. This place seems friendly but also, it seems like the people here are interesting to share with. As for help, not for the moment, when I will have more time, I'll try to figure stuff by myself but I will make sure to ask someone if anything.
- What brought you to Valucre? How did you find us?
Sporkmcfarglesnark told me about it because I was really struggling with Tumblr/Gaia roleplay 8') - What got you into role-play? What are your favorite types (genre, style, etc) of role-play?
Having made up stories about all the characters I draw, I just really wanted to make worlds for them and see how they would interact with people others have made! I'd have to say that I really love drama and character building, but fantasy/sci fi are my fave~ - Do you have any long-term goals related to role-play and/or writing? If so, what are they?
I'd really love to get to the point where I get confident to start up my web comic. I'm a skilled artist and animator, it's just my writing isn't where I'd like it to be yet, and I know roleplay can help me get a lot better! Plus it's the funnest thing to do :D - What are some of your other hobbies and/or interests? What is one interesting thing about you that others might not expect when they first meet you?
I draw and do 2d animation. I'm also in school for my master's degree in game art. Something interesting about myself? Um...there's really not much other than my love of drawing and writing! I guess getting married is something most people don't expect either haha! - How has your Valucre experience been so far? What do you like, and is there anything we can do to help you (as staff or fellow members)?
IT'S BEEN AMAZING! I absolutely love it here. Everyone is so kind and so helpful and so very eager to lend a helping hand or a friendly word. It's such a shift from all the hateful comments on Tumblr and Gaia roleplay. I feel like this is an actual safe place and I feel so comfortable here and I haven't even posted in my first thread yet. Soon, though!
- What brought you to Valucre? How did you find us?
When I was born, I was captured by Leonardo DeCaprio. He was preparing for his role as Jack in the Titanic franchise, but you see I was playing the role of his best friend, Marcus. So we got along but then Leo decided it would be a nice idea to drive the ship into a giant ice-burg. This made me extremely upset, because I fell a million miles underwater when the ship capsized. Then after being pulled ashore on the land of Valucre, this nice lady named Rin, said "Hello", and henceforth I am here. - What got you into role-play? What are your favorite types (genre, style, etc) of role-play?
Roleplay is fun for all of the obvious reasons. It lets you dive into another person's life and see how they would react. I actually try my best not to get emotionally attached to any of the characters that I create. It makes me feel like a mad scientist, I am putting these people in random environments and only write how I think that person would act, then I study other people's reactions. It really helps me link actions and reactions. - Do you have any long-term goals related to role-play and/or writing? If so, what are they?
My long term goals for this website would be able to create a long story following the adventures of one of my characters, who I have created. Meaning I will have them travel through multiple threads and finish with their own thread and conclusion. I have a handful of characters to choose from right now, but I am not sure which one I should use. - What are some of your other hobbies and/or interests? What is one interesting thing about you that others might not expect when they first meet you?
One of my hobbies is playing music. I know how to play the guitar, bass, ukulele, and a little bit of the mandolin. I am a member of a band with a couple of my other friends. Also, I am attempting to design psychological experiments in my spare time over the next couple of years. And I guess, people would not expect me to be such a dork when they first meet me, but I am. - How has your Valucre experience been so far? What do you like, and is there anything we can do to help you (as staff or fellow members)?
My time on Valucre has been okay so far, the only disappointing thing is when I enter a thread and it slowly dies before reaching completion, but I suppose that's true for everyone. And as staff, I don't know. The Big Man on campus; Carlos. And yourself as well as a couple of other people have offered help. I guess I just need to get up to date on the politics of Valucre, but perhaps I will learn about that as I go along, however if there is anything super important I need to know, please tell me.
- What brought you to Valucre? How did you find us?
I wanted to redo an old rp as a dedication to a friend (old rp buddy) and a former Valcure user recommended it to me. - What got you into role-play? What are your favorite types (genre, style, etc) of role-play?
I met my current BFF on another website, and having many things in common, we got to know each other and became fast friends. I prefer fantasy, medieval fantasy, and post apocalyptic, but I'm usually open for anything and everything. In other aspects, I love reading and writing long posts, lore-rich story ideas, and the mystery and excitement of following a collaboration wherever it leads. - Do you have any long-term goals related to role-play and/or writing? If so, what are they?
I've always loved writing with other people and interweaving the different subplots, but I also used role-play as a way to help young writers develop better grammar, better storytelling skills, and their own personal style. I also use it as a combatant of writer's block (relating to whatever I happen to be writing outside of role-play.) That continues to be the case, now going on ten years, so I guess it always will be. As a novelist, I am still working up the courage to try publishing my WIP as well as 35 years worth of completed novels. - What are some of your other hobbies and/or interests? What is one interesting thing about you that others might not expect when they first meet you?
Reading. Watching high fantasy movies. Playing action/advent or RPG video games like Zelda, Mario, Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, and Final Fantasy X, as well as first-person shooters like Far Cry, and Return to Castle Wolfenstein. Repairing/rebuilding computers. Studying/researching all aspects of human medicine, criminology, law, the military, and all cultural and geology/geographical history - American, European, Asian, etc. As for the second question, I don't know if this would be necessarily interesting, but it's certainly weird. I got the raised eyebrows, the widened eyes, and the "no-way"s when people find out that I'm a major gamer and computer geek, but all because I listen to a very unusual grouping of music - rap, punk, heavy metal, Christian, classical, rock from the fifties to date, and old country. I have an appreciation for nearly every kind of music. - How has your Valucre experience been so far? What do you like, and is there anything we can do to help you (as staff or fellow members)?
It has been interesting, challenging, exciting, and inspiring. I like that it has it's own predetermined world, which was VERY intimidating and confusing to me the first few days. I stuck it out because I was determined to make my already existing rp fit into the Valucre planet, but more so because the people here were absolutely awesome. I got help from every possible angle, and could not believe how friendly and welcoming everyone was. I continue to ask questions, and people continue to answer them with a willingness and grace that I've just never seen happen on other websites.
- What brought you to Valucre? How did you find us?
What brought me here was just me searching for a role play site and I found this one. I actually like it because of the many locations it has. - What got you into role-play? What are your favorite types (genre, style, etc) of role-play?
I got into role play from a couple friends who did it and they introduced me to it. Favorite types are anything involving vampires and things like that. - Do you have any long-term goals related to role-play and/or writing? If so, what are they?
No I do not. - What are some of your other hobbies and/or interests? What is one interesting thing about you that others might not expect when they first meet you?
I bake and I am good at it. Interesting thing is that I can speak 8 different languages. - How has your Valucre experience been so far? What do you like, and is there anything we can do to help you (as staff or fellow members)?
It has been good. I might have said already what I like in the first question's reply. But you guys do not need anything to do help me because you are going a good job already.
- What brought you to Valucre? How did you find us?
Google O: Someone asked about a good rp forum and this was what someone else said O: I was looking for a good place to rp since the place I am currently rping on is not a rp site. O: It is a anime forum so rping is not what they do. Most of the rps there died or just not my thing. O: - What got you into role-play? What are your favorite types (genre, style, etc) of role-play?
A friend of mine on another anime site ran a rp group.O: I use to enter the rp contest which were art based to help her activity.O: I won most of them so she said why not join in.O: I never did it before so I was sure why not O: It was a Naruto based on and I like naruto so I stated and enjoyed it O: From there I joined a Bleached based on and then many other and it is now 6-7 years or so later O: I enjoy pretty much anything where I can use magic as those are more fun to me then non magic but I do enjoy those too O: Done both the big 3 anime rps more often but done some of everything O: I tend to use the same char and like to tie that into which ever rp I am working in O: - Do you have any long-term goals related to role-play and/or writing? If so, what are they?
Passes time and I enjoy it. O: Also gives me ideas for the book I am currently working on O: - What are some of your other hobbies and/or interests? What is one interesting thing about you that others might not expect when they first meet you?
I am a gfx artist as well a a off and on Yugioh player O: Foruming is what I tend to do most of the time when not working or out in the real world.O: I spend most of my time at work,home or hanging out at the tattoo shop my home boy works out of. So I am pretty tattooed up O: Idk, pretty much most things about me O: I am tattooed and have dreads so I look like black guy number 46343553 O: So once people see I am not like the "Black People" that tend to have the same look as me, tis a fun trip for them O: I am a very different person from most and until you know me, you never know what to expect O: - How has your Valucre experience been so far? What do you like, and is there anything we can do to help you (as staff or fellow members)?
Pretty good so far.O: At first I was not sure how to start or how things worked as this is my first rp site.O: I was not sure I would fit in or even find a place that would take me in O: I didnt know where to start and how about going about it O: But then everyone jumped in and helped me with all my questions O: I still only know a small corner of this place but I am working my way into it all.O: The starter tavern is a great idea though I made one post and then found a rp to join O: If I didnt I would have used it more to see where I could go to rp since that was the hardest part for me O:
Other Highlights?
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| Highlights. Reel. Get it? I crack myself up. |
Did You Know- About the portal page? Yep, we have one, and it shows you important announcements and recent RP posts. To learn more, check it out here. While you are at it, read the rest of the Did You Knows too.
Closing Thoughts?
I'm cheating again, because I am not feeling so great and I would rather have this up for you now with something not of my own writing than make you wait another day or two while my body settles down from how irked it is that my sleep schedule got flipped upside down. I'm not doing a good job thinking of subjects to write about this week and I hardly trust myself to write something longer than a few paragraphs without getting lost and inserting a bunch of nonsensical material that has little connection to the coherently formed sentences before it. On top of that, I need to go to bed in a little over an hour, and I rarely spend that short of a time in putting out some closing thoughts. Generally, those turn into a couple hours minimum.
All that said, here is something from Seanan McGuire that I liked, talking about how the English language can be such a difficult pain. It's worth contemplating, so I leave you with that.
All that said, here is something from Seanan McGuire that I liked, talking about how the English language can be such a difficult pain. It's worth contemplating, so I leave you with that.
Thoughts on Writing #2: Your Grammar Is Eating The Neighbors.
...what's sad is that this is nicer and less snarky than the first essay in this series. Just in case you'd wondered whether I was mellowing. The original thought:
The rules of English grammar were devised by an evil linguist who had a bone to pick with the adherents of the more traditional schools of the written word. They laughed at him in the academy, and we bastards are still paying today. You don't need to have a perfect grasp of the seventeen thousand (occasionally conflicting) rules to be a writer; that's what editors and proofreaders are for. At the same time, you can't just throw a bunch of words at the page and expect to have all your work done for you. Learn the basic rules of punctuation and grammar before you subject other people to your work. They can squabble over the Oxford commas at their leisure.
Ready?
Let's begin.English Is A Monster.
Those of us who grew up with English may not be consciously aware of what every "English as second language" person in the world knows full well: English is hard. Our grammar is needlessly complicated, full of pit-traps and sneak attacks. Constructing a sentence in English is sort of like trying to snatch six specific garter snakes out of a nest. The nest has been buttered. Also, the snakes bite. Now, once you've been juggling garter snakes—or speaking English—for a few years, you can generally get the six snakes you want with a minimum of trouble. But they'll always be buttered, and they'll always have teeth.
We have a language built on the stolen bones of other languages. The people responsible for "creating" English were basically playing Dr. Frankenstein, using spare parts to make something capable of smashing the local village. I use the term "creating" loosely, because English wasn't created as much as it just, well, evolved. People looked up one day and realized that they were speaking this weird new language, and by that point, they were used to it, so they didn't stop. I mean, the nice thing about Frankenstein's Monster is that it's big, flexible, and pretty damn difficult to kill. You can always bring it back with a set of jumper cables and a car battery, and that's a useful trait to have in a monster, or in a language. The big thing to remember is that, at the end of the day, it may be friendly, but it's still a monster. There's always the chance that it's going to kidnap your wife, crush your neighbor, and go rampaging off down the street.>
It is easier to be unclear in English than it is in almost any other language, partially because of its innate flexibility. There's a running joke on NCIS—a television procedural—about a foreign-born character misspeaking and mangling her idioms, because, ha ha, English is hard. Well, guess what? English is hard. Anyone who tells you that English isn'thard is either delusional or trying to lull you into a false sense of security. Possibly because their own personal monster of English is getting hungry...
Right, Get The Torches.
Put down the torch, hotshot: English may be a monster, but it has its uses. As I said before, it's big, flexible, and pretty damn difficult to kill. And it can express almost anything you want. This is a language that has so many wonderful words that we regularly allow old ones to fall out of common use, replacing them with shiny new words, like buying new parts for our monster. This is a language that we can use to knock downother people's villages. We just need to be certain that we know how to control it.
Now, I could pretend to be all-knowing and give you a lot of instructions on how not to split an infinitive and how to avoid overly complex sentences, but let's get real: I am not an English teacher. I'd just be parroting information out of books, and while I'd like to think that my parroting would be amusing, it wouldn't be any better than what's already out there. I do recommend that you pick up On Writing, by Stephen King, and Strunk and White's Elements of Style. One book will teach you basically everything you need to know about the strict rules of making your monster do what you want it to do. The other will teach you some handy tips about making your monster dance the hokey-pokey. Both are good things to know, and both are going to be a lot more useful to you than all the parroting in the world.
If you're really confused about the way that grammar works, take a class! Most community colleges offer basic English courses. Note that I'm not saying "take a class that teaches you how to write"—you'll do that, or you won't do that, based on your own needs and what you personally feel will help you grow as a writer. I'm saying "take a class that teaches you about the language." English grammar is the way it is because its creator was laughed at in university. Maybe if you go to university, you can learn how to stop laughing and start understanding why it felt the need to smash your barn.
I'm really enjoying this monster metaphor. Can you tell?
But My Grammar Is Good Enough For Teh Intarwebs!
...ow, my brain. Look: everything is good enough for "teh Intarwebs." That is, really, the beauty of the Internet. With the click of a button, you can become a published author. When I finish something, I have the power to put it right up online. Bam. Now, being as I'm me, I'm always going to proofread it and run it by a few people first, but I couldpublish it the second it's finished. No one's standing over my shoulder saying "I think you spelled that wrong." No one's going to smack me for splitting an infinitive, or for constructing a sentence so convoluted that my point gets lost in a forest of modifiers. Well, Brooke might, but that would be after the fact; the the words would still be out there. No one is grading the Internet.
The thing to remember here is context. Vixy and I regularly have entire conversations in LOLcat, and Shawn and I mostly just make incoherent dinosaur noises at each other via IM. That's totally fine. But I'm not going to read a novel written in either of those styles. "Good enough for the Internet" doesn't mean that your grammar is any good; it just means that your personal equivalent of Brooke has not yet smacked you on the head and dragged you off to the Lagoon for a little remedial education.
I am very loose with language in my blogging, because it's my blog; I can be loose with the language if I want. I abuse punctuation freely and without qualms. I insert random capitals in the middle of my sentences for emphasis. I make up words. I use really big words without necessarily giving the surrounding context to avoid confusing my readers. Periodically, I devolve into LOLcat for no reason beyond "I wanted to." The more I learn about grammar and punctuation, the less I do some of these things, just because I'm training myself out of bad habits. At the same time, there are things I used to do carelessly that I now do on purpose. I see the rules. I choose to let my monster smash them.
When I'm writing fiction, or even serious non-fiction, I get a lot more careful with the way I word and structure things. I don't want to risk confusing and alienating people by mistake; I want to do it on purpose. I have people read and review me, and when I get the same critique from multiple sources, I tend to take little crash-courses in the way to make my monster work for my benefit. Nothing says "learn how to control your monster" like being told exactly what it's doing wrong.
The Internet is where you can let your monster rampage. Everywhere else, you may need to give it a little training.
So I'm Basically Screwed.
Yes and no. No matter how much you train your monster, it's always going to be a monster. Nothing you or I or anyone else can do is going to change that. You could try writing in a different language, but that's going to raise a whole new set of problems.
At the same time, you can learn to control your monster, at least well enough that the people who do this professionally can recognize its potential and guide you along. Maybe you'll never develop a consistent approach to the Oxford comma, but if that's the only mess your monster's making, your line-editors are really unlikely to care. No one expects perfection. They just expect the house to still be standing when you and your monster leave.
Good luck, and remember, stay away from the castle.
That's it for the week. See you next time.
- Acies
"Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality. It's a way of understanding it.". ~ Lloyd Alexander
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