The Winter 2007 "Tribe Awards"

OK, ladies & gents -- time for our newest "Tribe Awards"! The full award descriptions are included in a file over at our game-site. But we wanted to list & congratulate all this year's winners right here. Here they are!

Amber Award # 1 -- Rex.
Amber Award # 2 -- Eris
Bob the Dog Award -- Sable & Tom the Golden Lab
Bray Award -- Sid
Bray & Amber Award -- Arianna & Scarecrow
Dal Award -- Krystal
Evil Sisters Award -- Ace & Villa
"Good of the Tribe" Award -- Every single Citizen of Fort River
Jack & Ellie Award -- Krystal & Jason
Jay Award # 1 -- Scarecrow
Jay Award # 2 -- Ransom
KC Award # 1 -- Bug
KC Award # 2 -- Tresvant
Lex Award -- Prince
Lex & Taisan Award -- Prince & Shikra
Locos Award -- Scarecrow
Luke Award -- Saber
Mouse Award -- Krista
Pride Award -- Hawk
Ram Award -- Seth
Ruby Award -- Valentine
Salene Award -- Arianna
Slade Award -- Zero
Trudy Award -- a 3-way tie! Arianna, Tori & Faye Lee Darkclaw
Zoot Award -- a 4-way tie! Bishop, Brena, Ishmael & Tom-F
Zoot & Ebony Award -- Villa & Marionette
Zoot Lives! Award -- Rah

Congrats, everybody! Good job!

-Chyna

Watch this space!

We just got the word!

The KTDARPG Council of Tribes is meeting behind closed doors as we speak, voting on the newest round of TRIBE AWARDS.

In case you don't know, the "Tribe Awards" are given periodically to honor the best characters, moments, scenes and other accomplishments from the Keep the Dream Alive role-playing game. The last awards were given in January 2006, so I'd say we were overdue!

Anyway, watch this space! As soon as the awards are announced, you'll see 'em here!

-Chyna

A Rose for a Friend

Today is a good friend's 17th birthday.
Have a great day, Prince!
All our best wishes in the New Year ahead.

You are, indeed, a Prince.

-Chyna

Where the action is

It's taken a few days, but i think i've finally figured out the Big Picture to what's going on in-game at KTDARPG. Let me see if i can sum up where the action is.

In Sector 5 -- There's a war going on. Prince has taken the battle to Gaz's Compound in Sector 5 (old stomping grounds of the Reapers). The deputies have breached the compound walls. Inside they've found Brena & Worm dead, but still no sign of Gaz. Prince has Vixen & Oliver with him, and finding Gaz is probably the next step.

At "Home" -- Murder & death are everywhere, including Val's bar. Ishmael's been found dead in his room, but no sign of the murderer. Saber & a stranger Johnny are standing by to help...if Valentine can keep it together long enough. Eris and Ace/Jack are around there somewhere, probably keeping an eye on Madam at the bar.

The Outskirts of Fort River -- People leave and people return. Even as Mordom & Ranger take off, familiar faces make a comeback. Hawk, Creed, Jade and Zero are on the outskirts of the city. Jade looks across the last of the distance with hope; Hawk is more reluctant to get back into the politics and pressures of a city she's never understood. Both will be surprised at what they find.

The Warehouse District -- The Misfits are tucked in safe for the night...and hoping for a peaceful night for a change. Arianna's had her hands full--a new baby, a new man, a trial that went tragically crazy, her mission questioned and her help disparaged. At the eye of the hurricane that's Fort River these days, the Misfits have been a steadying influence. Let's hope they can keep it up.

The Factory District -- It's not all-out war yet, but something's about to explode in the factory where Rah has his headquarters. Krystal's free but Jason's still inside. Now Shikra & Jean have hatched a plan with Seth to try and finish this. Who among them will still be alive when the dust settles?

Whereabouts Unknown -- And last but not least, our favorite crazies Villa & Marionette have gone off on their own. Tree houses? a red sea of old death? a diamond-filled lake? solar-powered transportation? Oh, Villa is definitely in her favorite kind of candy store...but what's Marionette's game. Bait in a trap? Or genuine caring for this crazy ice-blonde?

Want more? Read our game! The link for it is in the list at right!

-Chyna

Requiem for a Bad Girl

A lot of things've happened in the game since Chyna took a break. Lots of battles, lots of character development, lots of deaths... One of those deaths hit home, people, and I simply can't let it pass without proper notice.

Her name was Brena. She joined us in Season-1. Here's part of her official game-bio:

"Brena was the daughter of a priest and learned early to be persuasive, to convince others to her point of view. With Xeno, she helped create a club for kids whose purpose was: Protect the past to rebuild and improve the future. In other words, control and eliminate chaos--impose order. That club eventually became The Brotherhood."

Anybody familiar with our game knows the Brotherhood was Big Trouble. Because of her role, Brena was also Big Trouble. Her motives may've been good, but it seemed like everything she touched went wrong. People died. And everything she did that DID turn out good (like finding/releasing the cure to the kid-killing virus, or paying Valentine's debt to Drake & releasing her from bondage)...well, it didn't seem to matter. She couldn't erase her past, and her attempts to make amends always seemed to go wrong.

More from her bio: "At the end of Season-1, because of her obsession with getting Xeno back and questions about her loyalty, Lion-F and the Brotherhood commanders tried to assassinate her. They failed. Brena fled to Xeno and the Fort River resistance, and she was caught in the battle for Merchant Street."

From there, her life got really interesting. Over the next few seasons, she joined the River Rats tribe (and was ultimately kicked out), she fell in love with Bishop and lost him, she was pregnant (father unnamed) and lost the baby, she was elected to the Fort River City Council (right before the hurricane shot all that to hell), she made friends and she made enemies. With the Brotherhood and Anti-Kids gone, it seemed Brena lost her way. Her purpose was gone, her contemporaries were gone. She became a walking anachronism.

It says a great deal for the sensitivity & skill of her creator that Brena was such a full-fleshed character. It wasn't just other characters that reacted to her--it was also other players. Brena elicited strong feelings among the players in the game whenever she came on scene. In other words, to them? She was alive. Her past was solid. Her presence was strong. She grew beyond her creator...

So raise a glass to Brena, boys 'n girls. To the Brotherhood Queen who imagined a perfect world but just couldn't figure out how to make it real. Her smile could freeze your blood, and her power was unquestioned. Believe it or not...she will be missed.

-Chyna

By any other name...

Christmas, Hanukka, Kwanzai, Winter Solstice . . . there are probably other names for this holiday season that I'm not familiar with. But whatever your persuasion, wherever you are in the world . . .

happy holidays. And stay safe.

Y

-Chyna

so long, and thanks for all the fish

KTDARPG is a great game. I've tried to make "Chyna's Closet" an accent to the game, encouraging others to join or just read & enjoy, encouraging our players to remember their roots, sometimes just shedding a bit of light on game-play.

It's an awesome responsibility, and it's been a joyful one. Lately, though, have to confess Chyna's feeling a bit bruised 'n battered trying to keep up with everything.

So I've decided to give the blog a rest. It's almost December, so this is a good time. Maybe in a few weeks, hopefully everything will have sorted itself out. I hope so.

Until then, I can't say it any better than the Hitchhiker's Guide: so long, and thanks for all the fish.

-Chyna

Character Analysis

Every now 'n then, it's good to do a reality-check. Especially if you've been inside our rpg as long as I have (just shy of 2 years).

So I asked my fellow players to vote in a poll about my characters. I have 7 in-game (1 primary, 3 secondary, 3 lesser characters), right at the limit our game rules dictate. For each character I asked: should I kill off him/her? should I keep him/her? or should I send him/her out of the game for a rest? Hey, the players KNOW since they're the ones who interact with my characters on a daily basis.

Their answers kinda surprised me.

OK, just the raw tallies showed 52% voted to keep them all, 22% voted to kill them all off, and 14% voted to send them all away on vacation. I have to say, feels kinda good. Even at the bottom of the poll, where people could vote to just flat-out kill off all my characters or keep them--the only votes cast there were to keep them all.

A funny thing, though. The character that got the most "keep" votes--63% of the people who voted!--was one of my males, Creed. You have to understand, Chyna's been told time & time again that she can't DO male characters, that they come off too feminine to be real. Well, I've checked with some of the guys in the game & asked them to be honest with me. One guy put it in a way I'll remember; he said, "Just because a man is caring, concerned & considerate doesn't mean he's feminine." So I guess the poll proved the point--my most popular character is apparently a guy! (Yea, me!)

The other surprising piece of the results puzzle was the last question. I threw it in just because I needed something to end with. I asked: "Time for somebody new?" I couldn't believe that 50% of the people who voted in the poll voted that it was maybe time for me to create a new character! I mean, I've got my hands full, guys! Hmm...intriguing idea, though...

Anyway, thanks to everyone who took the time to vote in the poll. I appreciate your help. I'll take all the votes into consideration as I figure out the future for each of my current characters.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Gratitude

Today is officially "Thanksgiving Day" here in the U.S. An old tradition dating back a few hundred years. Pilgrims & Indians. Harvest. Family, friendship & appreciation...that sort of thing.

Each generation interpets this holiday differently. Most recently, it's a day of rest & getting ready for Friday--pretty much the official "hell day" of seasonal shopping. Just a quick look through the paper is all it takes: stores opening as early as 4 a.m. with "doorbuster values" that will bring out a stampede of people looking for that illusory Bargain.

Today just a few of us are having dinner, enjoying the usual turkey with all the appropriate side dishes. A bottle of wine. Some music. Maybe games after, or just talking. Tomorrow I'll leave the shopping spree to those more accustomed to the madness. I'll play with my dogs, read a book...think about the people who are far from me, the ones I won't be seeing for the holidays. Still, good memories. Shared memories.

Sorry, guys. Chyna's in a mood. Friends in the game, friends in life, family & loved ones. You're all precious to me.

Happy Thanksgiving.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright femalefirst

Early morning thoughts...

Very early morning ... still half asleep ... wondering ... If someone pretty much tells you he'd prefer you killed off all your characters in the game...

An intimation that the characters are boring?
An indication that you're too strong?
Or an invitation to leave?

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Paths

The Game Owner, Xeno, here.
In answer to recent happenings in-game & out-of-game
-----------------------------------------------------------

KTDARPG, our game, was started as an interactive role-playing game where anyone can try to lead the game & the story line. In the first 4 seasons I led the game-story until realizing with the 4th season that the "main" story I planned & created was not The Storyline. Rather it was a backstory, and it would've been impossible--and selfish--for me to continue that.

This 5th season, as I've told various players since Dragon*Con, I have no "story." If the game-story is lost, if the path forward is unknown, IT'S YOUR TURN -- you, our great players! -- to lead the game & create the story. To "Keep the Dream Alive."

Recently I've been working to enlarge our KTDARPG universe with the idea of a main internet site (see the poll at the gamesite), with the new "Tribe" toolbar, & with a wiki site. You're all invited to contribute to these ideas & generate ideas of your own to support the game.

-Xeno

Weather

I was up at 3 a.m. watching our first snowfall. Beautiful, cold, fresh, clean. Ground's too warm for it to last long, but it reminded me what I like about winter.

Also reminded me, "The Tribe" didn't deal a lot with weather. I remember it rained once in Season-1 when the Mall Rats were running out of water in the tank on the roof. I remember references to cold (mostly when somebody had a need for a coat or shoes). But I don't remember snow or any extremes. Weather in the show was kind of a non-entity.

We've done much better in KTDARPG. Rain, snow, wind...floods, hurricane, blizzard... there've been times when weather was almost another character inside the game.

I guess when you're visual (like a tv show), you don't have to worry about it so much. But in a text-based game like ours, you need all the environment you can get. It helps the players to "see" the scenes in their minds as they move their characters to the rhythms.

-Chyna

Familiarity

Familiarity is a great thing. As you get more familiar with the people you work & play with, you know what you can depend on them for. You learn about their strengths, their weaknesses, and you move forward depending on that knowledge.

We see that a lot in "The Tribe." You know a character, and you depend on what you know.

Examples? Easy.

You know Amber has a good head on her shoulders; she'll make decisions for the good of the tribe & not just her own good. Salene has a mother-complex; young or old, she'll be more than glad to take care of you. Dal is a wanna-be farmer & a hard worker; he doesn't do things for the credit but because he genuinely wants to help.

Once you know people this way, you depend on them not to change...and you tend to take advantage of what you know. Heaven help you if they ever break type, because you honestly won't know how to react.

Amber gets tired of always thinking of others first; she tosses it all for Sasha. Reaction? She's selfish, of course--how dare she! Salene tries so hard to take care of everybody that she winds up snared in the Guardian's trap, losing herself. Reaction? The girl's a traitor--never trust her again! Dal is so much a team-player that he winds up getting himself killed, sacrificing himself to help his friends. Reaction? Poor Dal, we'll really miss him. Who's next?

The same thing is happening with characters in our game, where examples are also easy. Arianna is our mother-figure. Hawk defends the innocent. Prince stays clear of long-term connections. Brena always lands on her feet. Sid shows up where you least expect him. Marionette is so unpredictable he's ultimately predictable. Krystal always thinks of others first. And so on...and so on...

Sometimes we depend on these characteristics because we know the characters so well & have seen the traits proven time & again. Sometimes, it's because we're familiar with each other as players so we're depending on the human behind the scenes to act to type. And sometimes, because of this familiarity, we push the envelope & take advantage of the characters/players because we KNOW them. How could they do any differently, based on previous actions? And good god, why should they resent being taken for granted? It's who they are, right?

As players, we're generally good about playing characters to type. But heaven help us when a player breaks type...and quite frankly? That's when it gets interesting.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Gossip

Anybody who knows Chyna knows how much I enjoy gossip 'n rumor when it comes to our game, our players & our characters. Here's one I picked up on instant messenger a while back.

Rumor has it that some of our players are seeing the educational side of "The Tribe" & our role-playing game. Chyna's heard on IM that pieces of KTDARPG Season-5 may wind up as someone's school play! This is very cool...not only turning on other kids to the show that inspired us, but maybe giving our game some exposure in the process.

If I hear anything more, I'll keep you posted. And if Chyna can get her hands on either a copy of the script or the disk...I'll share!

-Chyna

Guest Blogger: Hawk

...and now we have another guest-blogger, which happens to be Hawk (the player other than Sable who happens to have an animal companion or two...). Hawk says her entry is in response to yesterday's blog from Sable, so here it is:

Testing by Fire

What defines a story? Makes it memorable and worth reading and rereading?

Challenges, Conflicts and Connections.

When all is good clear and happy--there is a passitivity. You see a person's true character when faced by challenges. Challenges can bring the monster out or the goodness of a person. Look at Zoot in the TV Show ("The Tribe"). Before the death of his parents he'd been a quiet boy in the shadow of his older athletic brother Bray. His reaction to the trajedy was to refuse to face it directly and rebel against everything he once believed. "Power and Chaos." Death, ruling by fear, force, and psychological torture. (Look at what he did to Ebony.)

Then on the other side of the spectrum is Dal. All he wanted was to have a farm away from the city. Yet he gave up that dream to stay with his friend Amber. And later, he died fighting for the values they held dear.

Conflicts emphasize the two sides of life. You treasure the good times, after you have suffered the bad times. These can be emotional, physical or a combination of both. Nothing is every trial-free. And sometimes when all seems dark--the one ray of hope or small happiness shared between two people becomes all the more meaningful.

I heard somewhere the saying: "You can't see a candle lit in the sunlight--you need the darkness to show the strenght of that light." In the tv show "Tribe," they showed this too. Baby Brady born right after all adults were dead. Baby Bray born on the day the Technos took over. Amber and Bray banished from the city--had each other. Cloe playing with her calf. These are just a few examples... Connections underlie all of life. Whether in love triangles, Lost loves, Friends, Family or Tribemates. Relationships good/bad or the lack of them. Ebony always going for Power, yet in the end had only a series of lost loves and an estrangement from her sisters. Amber as Eagle returning to the city to help the Mallrats. Lex and his two lost loves Taisan and Zandra. Both he and Bray went through depression and drunkness.

These are what made "The Tribe" great--and I think what makes KTDARPG last so long. In writing, we bring things alive so that we in a sense feel what the characters feel. Gold is refined by heating, impurites float to the top and are removed until the essence of the metal is seen. The testing by fire always changes people, gives them a depth, as do our Characters. Some die--heroically, tragicaly. There are conflicts, have been wars, and dark times. They face real problems, issues and go through all the emotions that "real" people experience. Still they choose to find happiness where they can.

So look to the horizon, good will come out of evil. It doesn't mean there won't be consequences, but hope will remain.

And remember: in the darkest night, a small candle of light can seem very bright. -Hawk

Guest Blogger: Sable

We have a guest-blogger today. Hey, if somebody wants to say something about KTDARPG & has no other forum, "Chyna's Closet" is a good place for game-related thoughts. Sable joined the game in May 2006 & is one of the very few players who've included an animal companion for their character. Here's what she has to say:

Looking Thru Rose-colored Glasses

What made the TV Show ("The Tribe") so wonderful? Was it the story, was it the cool costumes? Maybe it was the campie soap-opera teenage melodrama. But the producer somehow always achieved a magic of looking thru rose-colored glasses with all the horrors around that were going on in the new world. At every corner, somehow the producer managed to get the idea across of "Keeping the Dream Alive". You knew deep down, the good guys would win. But it was also cool to see the fall of the bad guys. You knew the bad guys were bad, but the producer using his magic showed without showing, giving hints or clues to just how evil and what acts of horror they had committed. The producer used that rose-colored glasses effect on his show. Mostly because of his viewer audience. However, he achieved the creepy without being overly graphic. And just around the corner, maybe not in character actions but the music, giving an uplifting promise of "Keeping the Dream Alive".

Has this game turned too visually graphic, too dark, has our rose-colored glasses worked against us? Our path seems lost. Are we "Keeping the Dream Alive"? Isn't that the main story goal for this "KTDA" RPG Tribe game? -Sable

Test your Tribal-ness!

Ransom, one of our long-term & more experienced players, has devised a most devious test to let you gauge your Tribal-ness & measure yourself against those icons of our fandom--the stellar characters we know & love from "The Tribe"! Here are her questions. They're meant to measure how tribal our rpg characters are...or even how tribal our players are (hehe!). I thought you'd enjoy testing yourself. Score yourself 1-point for every time you can answer "yes" to the question asked.

1. Were you a famous or important person before the virus?
2. Do you sometimes have violent urges?
3. Did you have them before the virus?
4. Did you organize a secret movement against the government?
5. Were you in a secret movement, either for the government or against the government?
6. Do you believe the world was better with Adults?
7. Do you believe the world is better without Adults?
8. Are you considered the "bad" boy or "bad" girl?
9. Do you drink?
10. Do you drink to get plastered/forget?
11. Have you drank to the point you don't remember what happened the day before, or you don't remember how you got to that spot or situation?
12. Have you ever been intoxicated & killed someone?
13. "Alcohol in one hand, a weapon in another hand, and ready to pick a fight, or fighing while intoxicated!"
14. Been so drunk you did not care if you lived or died?
15. Made malatov cocktails! Vandalised a building?
16. Been arrested/rounded up after the virus?
17. Searched someone's room without their knowledge/consent or took something from their room, or planted something in their room?
18. Been a slave owner, a slave trader? Bought a slave or someone's contract?
19. Been a slave?
20. Drugged someone without their knowledge/consent?
21. Brainwashed someone or been programmed/re-programmed?
22. Do you consider yourself sane?
23. Do you ever talk to plants, animals, inanimate objects, or yourself?
24. Have you ever had a meaningful conversation with any of the above?
25. Do you hear voices in your head, or at one time did hear voices in your head? If so, do you ever talk to the voices in your head?
26. Do people tend to stare at you?
27. Do you ever change subjects in the middle of a sentence?
28. Do you name your possessions?
29. Are you obsessed with death?
30. Do you refuse to believe in anything but yourself?
31. Do you enjoy setting fire to things?
32. In this new world, do you consider this your chance to be its new ruler?
33. Have you ever eaten rats, or dog food, because you were so hungry?
34. Do you have multiple personalities that act independently? If so, do some of your personalities dislike each other?
35. Are you co-habiting in your own body?
36. Do you consider most of the people you know as completely mad?
37. Do you wear a hat?
38. Do you blow on a piece of food that has fallen on the floor before eating it?
39. Have you ever used a funeral pyre as a cooking fire?
40. Turned someone away when they are down on their luck, or sick, or when they needed your help, or food or shelter?
41. Kicked a tribesmate out of a tribe, or voted them out?
42. Been restrained for any reason with a (leash, chains, rope, duct tape, belt, etc.), or used any of the items on someone else?
43. Have you ever killed? Committed murder or planned or put a contract out on someone?
44. Been a contract on you, or a price on your head?
45. Lied to a Tribesmate?
46. In this new world, age does not matter any more, we make our own choices about love and marriage?
47. Secretly lusted after someone without that person knowing it?
48. Dropped subtle hints to someone whom you liked/loved/wanted, hoping that they would pick up on it?
49. Thought you might be, or might have caused someone else to be, unintentionally pregnant?
50. Do you pickpocket/steal for a living?
51. Do you causually eavesdrop on conversations around strangers or acquaintances just to improve your skills, or spy?
52. Did you/do you show off wounds/scars proudly?
53. Been in a fight with large animals?
54. Been in a cage match fight?
55. Do you own a dog collar, but not a dog?
56. Are you a goth, hippie, techie, nerd, geek, loser, pothead, deadbeat, recluse, misunderstoond social outcast?
57. Are you more than one of the above?
58. Do you smoke?
59. Do you have tattoos/piercings/wear outragous make-up?
60. Do you decorate your clothing with non-decorative objects (e.g. safety pins, duct tape, etc.) or regularly dye your hair colors not found in nature or have strange-colored eyes?

Now that you've got your score, come on over to our game-site (just follow the link at right) and check out the Answer Key in the "Files" section to see how you rate!

-Chyna

Is imagination the right way?

Those who know Chyna know she's a HUGE fan of imagination. I've willingly suspended my disbelief so often, "disbelief" is now a relative term to me. :)

However, there's one area where "leaving it to the imagination" may hurt our KTDARPG players more than it's helping them. That's when you're dealing with your Character.

Some players go very minimal when it comes to describing the physical-ness of a new character. (Some people actually go for "not at all" -- we don't even get a bio on which to start building our understanding of a character.) The reason I've heard is that this allows the Reader to "imagine" the character based on dialogue & action. The creator thinks too much detail might spoil the fun.

Ok. In theory? That might work. And that's an iffy "might." I mean, c'mon. When a player creates a character, he/she knows exactly what that character looks like. Based on that mental picture, the player develops dialogue, interaction, motives & emotions.

Now, you start leaving that to my imagination? You might have me writing that my character sees a chubby redheaded girl with freckles (when the picture in your creator-mind is a leggy blonde with bronzed skin) or a tall skinny boy with snaggly teeth & shaggy brown hair (when you-who-created-him see a muscular sexy guy with a great smile).

Seeing the challenge? It gets more challenging when you consider that EVERY PLAYER may see something different & then act on what they "see."

All this is just Chyna's way of requesting maybe a few more physical details about game characters. It really helps a scene when characters start describing what -- and who -- they see, so readers get a more solid mental picture. Hair color, eye color, height, build, distinguishing marks, tattoos, piercings, hair style, how a voice sounds or what a smile looks like ... every detail helps!

-Chyna

Photo source: Webshots

Have we lost our Tribal-ness?

It's a conversation that ebbs 'n flows. We've come back to it lately, the question of whether we've lost "The Tribe" elements that drew us to this rpg in the first place.

Valid question. Our game's been 2 years & 4-plus seasons in the making. Present time in-game is almost 3 years after the Virus outbreak & the death of all the adults. And while it would seem that the Virus defined both "The Tribe" & our game ... well, I would disagree with that wholeheartedly.

Yes, the adult-killing Virus was the beginning of everything -- the tv show, our appreciation for the creative ideas the show brought us, and KTDARPG -- but ONLY the beginning.

"The Tribe" was not about a Virus. After the show's Season 2, it was hardly ever mentioned again. Actually if I remember right, it took Our TV Heroes just one year to (a) lose the adults, (b) start organizing into tribes, (c) suffer a recurrence of the Virus, (d) discover an antedote for that (e) find out what caused the original Virus, and (f) deal with it & move on.

Let's not rush too fast past that "moving on" part. See, for me? That is what "The Tribe" was all about. How do you survive this catastrophe? How do you move on? How do you make a life when everything you depended on is gone? And most especially, how do you do all that when you're only 13/14/15 years old?

Those are exactly the things I find in KTDARPG. Those are the questions that our characters struggle with day to day, building lives for themselves the best way they know how.

I think I know where the question's popping up from. I could be wrong, but ... After 4 game seasons where the driving plot had to do with Big Enemies, Big Battles, Hurricanes & drama of the highest order, today we've brought the plot down to the personal. So far this season, our characters are more involved in just living. We're re-defining ourselves, meeting new people, developing relationships & discovering life on new terms.

Ok maybe that sounds tame after what we've been through, but it's really not. Go back & remember what scenes stayed with you from "The Tribe." For me those had to do with Bray & Amber finding each other, Salene's struggle with bulimia, Lex's drunkenness, Alice's doomed love, the Jack/Ellie/Luke triangle, Ebony's fears, Taisan's spacy ways, Dal's little trees. A hundred moments, all small, all very special AND all very personal to the characters.

Oh, the conversation will go on backstage among our players, but I'm not too worried about it. I think KTDARPG is as "Tribal" as it's ever been. Maybe even more so, since our timeframe has gone past what the tv show lived through ... and we're still here. :)

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe", courtesy of "TribeWorld"

Threads

They're called Threads, the most basic structure of game-play. Each thread ties all posts related to a specific subject/action/plot together. You follow a thread to follow one particular plotline. Together, threads add up to the game-story.

You identify individual threads by title...that's where the fun comes in.

Some titles are place-holders. They tell you where you are physically in the game. Some of these include the names of the characters currently included inside a thread. Like At the Warehouse - you know the location. At the Warehouse--Inside split the action to keep confusion down - some of the characters were interacting inside, others outside. Another place-holder is Market Day. Gives players information & is also a subtle invitation to come & play inside this thread if your character is at loose ends.

Some titles relate to specific characters. For example, Worm's Dream was simply what occurred to this character & was a single-post thread. Stranger at the Mall ran for many posts & played out the experiences of a new character (Tori) as she started interacting in a single place. Island Life is a bit broader; it involves one player's multiple characters & their journey from their island home into the heart of the game's storyline.

When a character-thread is being built & isn't ready to have others come inside, that thread may be closed. The most recent in-game example of this is Hopeless, marked as "Closed to Chyna." When that thread is ready for others to participate, the "closed" notice will come off & other characters can choose to interact if they want. (A cardinal sin of game-playing would be to violate the "closed" sign & have your character barge in on an unready thread. Our players are very good at honoring "closed" signs--thanks guys!)

Other titles are like the names of chapters in a book. These are the creative ones, the ones that describe or tease you with just a few words that point to the essence of what's happening inside the thread. These are also the hard ones! (Got any idea how hard it is to distill the essence of a plotline into just a few words?) Some examples . . .

= Moth. Flames. - Girl character drawn to bad boy. Will she get burned?

= Tortured Confessions - Self-explanatory. Torture. Truth. Pain.

= Broken Promises - People who make promises they can't possibly keep, and what happens when they try to make good on them.

= Coming Home - This one's kinda fun. The grand opening of a new bar in town named "Home." Invites others to join in & play along.

So now you know about Threads. Time to create one of your own?

. Chyna

Tools of "The Tribe"

Our Game Master has been innovating again.

This week he introduced something new: a web toolbar that helps connect you with KTDARPG and with all things tribal.

It's a handy little thing, customizeable according to individual needs 'n wants. I'm looking it at now. Across the top of my web browser, I have links that...

> search the net
> search the game
> notify when new game posts are up
> notify of new "Chyna's Closet" entries (thanks, Xeno!)
> notify re: updates from the toolbar-master
> show current weather in any place in the world
> help connect to any of our current "Tribe" game-links
> facilitate spell check & log-ins
> and a handy direct link to post to the game-site

There are other options, like a pop-up blocker and an email notifier that I haven't tried out yet. And you can connect to Youtube & more sites as they're added.

Anyway, just spreading the world about "Tribe" tools you might find handy, either in-game or just in your tribal-ness. :)

-Chyna

Close to the bone

I'm getting ready to bring a favorite character of mine back into the game. Several people are helping me put the storyline together, to make it dramatic & suspenseful & interesting. (Thanks, guys!)

I'm excited by the prospect. This is a great character, very well-formed, familiar to me. And the plotline to bring her back makes it worth the effort. It ties up some loose ends from previous seasons, helps to propel the action in the game, comments on the game-world as we've created it, and opens up new possibilities for the characters that will surround her as we move through.

There's just one slight...challenge...with this character. Playing her in the game cuts a bit close to the bone for me.

It's not that my life mirrors the one I've created for her in any way. She doesn't even physically resemble me. But I've found that in role-playing, my most creative & effective characters are the ones who carry some bit of me inside. This one? I'm thinking it's her world-view. From slave to free to slave in the game, this girl accepts reality. She does what she has to do to survive. That could probably be said of all of us. What ultimately makes her unique is a very resilient core. She's been tested--god, how she's been tested!--yet somehow she's maintained an inner sense of honesty...almost naivete...that brings her back to a state of "peace" with herself & with her world. Sometimes that's easily done; sometimes not. But somehow it always happens. There's an optimism that never quite leaves her.

I'm guessing that's me, too.

That connection is what makes this character difficult to keep a rational distance from sometimes. It's also what makes her satisfying to play out in a game-world that needs honesty, optimism, naivete.

Wish her luck in the upcoming storyline. The girl's gonna need it. Oh, and by the way, her name is "Jade."

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Miss a Day, Miss a Lot!

The past 48 hours have seen a flurry of posting to KTDARPG. No less than 10 players (maybe more that I missed) have participated in a mad scramble of plotting & writing. We blew past the 700-post mark for October pretty fast. Blasted the 10,000-post game mark even faster.

The storylines are compelling.

The drama of an impending murder trial.
The slowly decaying mental state of a strong tribe leader.
The growing relationship between a new mother & a strong man.
The kidnap & torture of 2 pretty-much-innocent characters.
The rescue & salvation of a less-than-innocent child.

Street brawling. Macho bullshit. Challenge & competition.
Rampant capitalism with all its moral dilemmas.
Survival.

You miss a day in this game, you miss a lot.

-Chyna

Halloween Gold

Last night, the game hit 700 posts for the month of October.

OK, most people won't understand how big a deal that is. 700 posts? in 25 days? Damn. Previously, our highest month was March '06 and that was just 638 posts--and it took us a hell of a lot of work to get there. And now our players just casually hit 700 posts in 25 days.

It's the players, of course. There's more of us. And more active threadlines going, more interactions--hell, we've had as many as 8 players involved in a single plotline! The average per thread right now is 3. That's a lot of very satisfying give 'n take. (I remember the old days where some players pretty much had to strike out on their own with NPCs to get a good story going, we had so few players. Now, unless you insist on it, it's pretty hard to find a reason to play in NPC-land unless that's the way you want it.)

All of which is just Chyna's way of saying Happy Halloween!

And we have 6 days left, ladies and gents. Just how high is this thing gonna go?

-Chyna

Faces in the Crowd

Ok, Chyna confesses to confusion here. It may be my inexperience. It may be that my brain doesn't work on all the higher levels. (Entirely possible!) But it may also be that others are having the same challenge, so thought I'd just put it on the table & see what happens.

Here's the thing. We have these kinda sub-characters called NPCs (non-player characters, technically). And we use them for filler--bartenders, servers, kids playing in the street, that kinda thing. Some people use them as background in tribes or mob scenes & stuff, too. It's all good, gives a sense that there's more to Fort River than you see day to day.

Here's where the problem comes in. Some players have a tendency to name NPCs when they use them.

Names are special things. Players are very creative when it comes to naming & describing their characters & then playing them true. And in homage to all that creative effort, I work really hard to keep the names of primary & secondary characters straight from scene to scene & thread to thread! But believe me, the work is even more challenging if someone expects me to remember the name of the 3rd kid on the left in the last mob scene or the little NPC tribe-member that appeared 500 posts back. It's just not happenin', guys!

NPCs are meant to be throw-aways. Just another face in the crowd that comes & goes according to the needs of the moment or the scene.

It would be a HUGE help--just in keeping the stories & the important characters straight--if we could resist that urge to give a name to every face in the crowd.

Just food for thought...

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Psycho

Taisan is one of my favorite "Tribe" characters. She spent a lot of time being called a space cadet, a nut case, crazy, loony & a host of similar adjectives. Bottom line? She was different than the mob. A "new age" kind of girl. That made her...special. Psycho? Doubtful, but who'm I to judge?

I started thinking of Taisan as I looked at some of the newest characters in KTDARPG these days. Ace, Villa, Marionette--these are just a few of 'em. What makes them stand out right now is their difference. They are, indeed, different from the mob. Ace is into card & magick tricks. Villa is an experimenter; there are few things this girl won't try at least once. Marionette has an internal symphony he's trying to conduct into beautiful--or at least liveable--harmonies.

That's what's fun about the game lately: our differences. Part of that comes from having more players in the game these days. But that's just the beginning. New players, new ideas, new sources for inspiration. And, quite frankly, that's having a surprising effect on the regular players. As I look, we seem to be experimenting more with our game-play. Taking more chances. Trying new things, new directions. Even with established characters--they're growing & developing in ways that I didn't foresee.

Even outside the game, the chatter on IM is filled with ideas. Kinda like an infusion of new blood has stirred things up & we're all using it and moving forward.

Maybe our characters are just psycho. Or maybe we are? Who cares! To misquote a famous writer, "The game's the thing!"

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

The Age-appropriate Challenge

Ok, this is more a challenge for us who've been with the game awhile, especially during the past year. I'll call it age-appropriateness. I don't remember worrying about it too much before, so we might be just getting a bit sloppy now. Taking each other for granted, maybe.

It works like this: our primary game-characters have aged a bit. (Remember, I said this was for players who'd been in-game awhile, and not even all those players.) We started out trying to be very conscious of how, for example, a 15-year-old would act/react in the kinds of situations the game presents. We were careful with dress, mannerisms, speech habits, skills, etc. The question was always: is this how a 15-year-old would act/think/talk/dress/behave in this circumstance?

Well, the game has pushed on. Our characters have grown. In many instances, they've become a bit...well, jaded. (No pun intended!) Established characters have been through a lot. So have our established players. Somewhere along the line, the caution-light got turned off. We forgot to ask ourselves all those age-appropriate questions by which we should be measuring the characters we're playing. Hey, I know...I'm as guilty of this as anybody else.

I think what really brought it to my attention was all the new players who joined the game recently. Their new characters--yeah, they're hitting the mark as far as age is concerned. It's a good example right in front of me. Yep, this is how a 12-year-old (or 14, or 16, whatever) acts. This is how she talks. This is how he reasons. These aren't super-heroes. They're kids. Granted, kids who've been through the wringer, so maybe a bit more "adult" in some ways. But in others? Nope. Still kids. With kid attitudes & kid weaknesses.

We seem to have forgot about those weaknesses, me & some of my companion-players. Even when we try to construct characters that are above the norm...how real is that, if we aren't portraying them true-to-age?

So this is just meant to be food for thought. Might be a good time for each of us to look at our characters through the age-telescope, see just how good a job we're doing.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe," and borrowed from the KTDARPG website

Morning after...

Last night was great

Lots of good posts, good IM conversations, good strategy sessions--plus we got the anniversary card a lot of folks signed & a new look to the game homepage.

Two years. Who'd've thought it?

Tired, now.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

October 17, 2006

Right now, it is
officially 0200
in Israel, which
is where the
"Keep the Dream
Alive" rpg began
exactly 2 years ago
October 17, 2004.

To all of the game's
Players, Readers,
Members & Fans --
congratulations!

This is your game.
You made it happen.
You made it FUN!

Glad I can be part of it.

Let's see what the next year brings!

-Chyna

Our story so far. . .

Lots of things going on in KTDARPG. If you're having trouble keeping up? Maybe this'll help:

At the Warehouse: Arianna had her baby, a little girl she named Sapphire. Scarecrow has just realized this wasn't a...well, he's wondering who the daddy is. Sid is there, a sort of homecoming & congrats to Ari on her baby. Villa tagged along with Sid...and we think somebody should be keeping an eye on that girl. Big Sis is there giving the rest of the Misfits a helping hand. Sable found a new friend, Krista. Blaze is there somewhere (we think). Brena is there helping out, waiting to find out if they'll let her stay. The River Rats just left.

On the Road: Jean, Krystal, Jason, Saul & the rest of the small party of River Rats are headed home. Some disagreement's come up between Jean & Jason. She wants him & Krystal back at the cave where they'll be protected. (Somebody put a bounty out on them, remember?) Jason plans on taking Krystal to the farm with Saul, where he hopes nobody'll expect them to be.

In the Warlord's Camp: Prince is meeting with the warlord Seth. Ace is hanging around outside somewhere, waiting on Prince. In another tent also waiting to hear what Seth has to say is Vixen.

At "Home": Valentine is getting ready for her big opening night. Drake just told her he's splitting town for a few weeks, and he's hired Marionette to look after the place for her. Saber is upstairs, sleeping off a hangover. Zero is around...somewhere.

At # 7 Goodmote Road: Rex's new center of learning is open for business. A strange girl named Eris has just shown up, asking him for a job.

In the Preserve: Hawk & Creed are still on their honeymoon trip. They're currently dealing with a bunch of poachers.

At the River Rats Cave: Shikra is reading old copies of Fort River newspapers.

At the old army base: Bug is scrounging for stuff now that the carnival has left town. There are some other kids there--some of the Sewer Rats tribe--and they've invited him to hang around with them.

On the beach at StormRiver: This was the last place we saw Worm.

And that's as much as I can decipher (or remember) for now--but maybe it will give you an idea of where others' characters are and what they're doing. Apologies to anybody I left out!!! Like I said, LOTS going on. Will be interesting to see how it all comes together.

-Chyna

Madness!

Ok, new player in the game. Let's call him Marionette, for the first character he brought on the scene. Marionette appears to be 2-faced, in the truest sense of the word. This guy has a running dialogue with himself! We have "Marionette" and we have "Francis" -- and we have to decide which one he is at any given time!

This guy is an original, for KTDARPG. Rarely have we had so much insight into a character that added up to so little...all kinds of teasing tidbits (like wearing chains under his shirt?) that, after weeks now, still only tease & don't illuminate. Friendly? Definitely. This guy will talk to just about anybody, and then follow you down the street to keep you talking. Strong? Well, he says he is (and Valentine gave him a workout with those crates, so maybe he really is). Dangerous? Hmm...still deciding that one. The internal dialogue suggests he just might be--but what form that danger takes is anybody's guess.

Marionette is spawning a new herd of characters that seem to be only a little whackier than himself. Or maybe it's many different brands of whacky. There's Zero. And Ace. And a new girl that's just shown up on Rex's doorstep. I think her name is Eris?

Anyway, will be fun to see what form all this madness takes. And where it leads us. Hey, if nothing else? Our players are NOT boring!

-Chyna

Wait for it

Lots of ideas are swirling around.

Character reproductions, Tribe awards, quizzes, interviews, greetings & salutations... Seems like this cooler fall season (at least in the States) is giving our players both extra energy & extra ideas. The game is blazing as KTDARPG counts down to its 2nd anniversary on Oct. 17.

If you haven't joined the fun yet, now is a GREAT time to check in.

If you're a regular, then wait for it--because Year 3 coming up promises to be the best yet!

-Chyna

Angels

I was talking with another KTDARPG player last night & it occurred to me that, just as in the original "Tribe", our game has experienced a Guardian (or maybe more than one). But where are the guardian angels?

Our "Guardian" appeared in the form of Lion-F & his Brotherhood (which at one time included Xeno & Brena). They knew what was best for everyone, were determined to shepherd us all peacefully & compliantly into that New World just waiting for us. And just as in the tv show, our sheep did not go peacefully & compliantly. They didn't GO at all, and fought the BH every step of the way. Lion-F tried again with The Way and...well, that didn't work out either.

But my mind latched onto the idea of guardian angel. Hawk is almost one--more avenging angel than guardian. Arianna & Jade were also "almost," but their contributions have been more overt than covert; and we know guardian angels work more behind the scenes than in front. Even Tom-F almost qualified; his business was ultimately good for the city, but there was no "guardian" quality about it.

OK, I admit I'm not sure where this thought is leading me. But we've seen the fighters & the lovers, the haves & have-nots, the good guys & the not so good, the demons...but not the angels. I've been assured there's at least one "potential" in the game, and I'm thinking that Rex also is a maybe. I guess we wait 'n see.

In a conflicted world where every day is a struggle, I think we need the kind of people who have a touch of altruism in their natures. That would qualify as part of the "hope"-factor...a part of the "keep the dream alive" that's sort of been missing up to now.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Ages

Just random thoughts...

Was noticing that, after 2 years & into 5 seasons in the game now, our primaries are tending to grow older on us. Sure, we've had a rash of baby-birthin's lately, but the middle demographic is missing.

The 12-, 13- & 14-year-olds tended to be the fun characters in "The Tribe", when I look back. But that's "fun" as in challenging--those were the guys who tended to get in the most trouble!

Being nostalgic, I know. Seems like most of our characters in-game right now are the Adults. The 17-year-olds and up. And they actually do seem to be...aging. Adult-ish. Growing tired of the struggle, maybe. It's been a hard 2 years in-game, for sure.

Somehow, we need some new energy. Usually that involves fighting, but there has to be something else. We've tried festivals. We've tried riots. We've tried partying. We've tried politics.

The next Great Idea is out there. Somewhere.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Tribes

I was thinking today... despite the interesting "rash" of tribes that have flitted however briefly through our game, we've really only managed to create 2 that deserve the name. Those are the Misfits & the River Rats.

The Misfits was the first tribe created in season one of KTDARPG. At that time, it included almost all the players who started us off. Today the Misfits live in a warehouse with a surrounding metal fence--ingeniously electrified for their security, thanks to Arianna's knowledge of solar power. The Misfits have hung together through war & peace, the wickedly brilliant skateboarding competition (that they won!), the death of loved ones & the desertion of others. And through it all, they've done their level best to try & help others in the city of Fort River. Prince, Savinius, Ransom, Sid, Xeno, Lily, Izzy, Scarecrow, Sable...I know I'm forgetting people, but you get my point. A lot of diversity in this group! And throughout the tribe's history, Arianna may insist she's not the Misfits' tribe leader--well, if nothing else then she's the "tribe mom." And the character has just become a true mom in-game, with the recent birth of baby Sapphire.

The River Rats have a different story. Forged from the remnants of 2 warring tribes, the members of this group came together because they had nowhere else to go. First tended then empowered by Hawk & Chyna (yep, that's me...), the RR as a creation was our tribute to the "Mallrats" from our inspiration/tv show. These Rats have held it together through sickness & hunger & confusion, through the Brotherhood & then the Anti-kid battles, through minor upsets & the death of their leader. They've been threatened, attacked & bad-mouthed. Tensions may be getting to them at the moment...but hey, they do the best they can. It's all any of us can do.

I call these the only true tribes in the game because they were created--and remain composed of--multiple players who've stayed together and created a family-type environment. Sure we've had Manglers, Vixens, Reapers, Travelers and lots of other tribes skirting around the edges of the game. But those groups were generally the inspiration and work of one KTDARPG player. Not to take away anything from the creativity & brilliance that created them!! They added a lot to the game!!

Still, when you see where we are and where we're moving? I'm thinking the Misfits & the River Rats will still be there with us at the end.

Wouldn't it be great if we could have another tribe join their ranks? Any ideas, anybody? :)

-Chyna

Photo source--copyright Cloud 9 "The Tribe"

Milestone

To all my fellow KTDARPG players -- Congratulations!

Tonight, you polished off the month of September with an incredible 606 posts!

In 24 months of gaming, we've only broken 600 once before, guys--in March 2006 when we did 638 posts & set the game record that still stands.

We didn't break the record tonight, but wow! And the stories just keep gettin' better and better. Good job!

-Chyna

New Team Member

This week we welcome a new team member to "Chyna's Closet." Ladies & Gents, meet Ransom. This girl is different from most of us in KTDARPG. She's an experienced rpg-er. Most especially, she's experienced with live-action role play. That usually translates into fun! The characters she creates in the game are unique, to say the least. I never know what she's gonna do next or from which direction she's gonna come.

Ransom's also the one who got me involved in KTDARPG back in the day. Thanks, Woman! (I think!)

As soon as she gets her head into it, Ransom promises she'll be giving us some insider info on rpg-ing. Things like slang, game-terms, and maybe just a different viewpoint on our play & how we interact with each other.

Look for her blog-entries in the future.

-Chyna

Everything

Everything.

That's such a great word.

See everything. Know everything.
Find everything. Own everything.
Do everything. Say everything.
Hear everything. Learn everything.
Kill everything. Read everything.
Buy everything. Take everything.

"Everything" is a power word. The concept of is even more powerful, implying truly super-human characteristics.

For example, to truly "see everything," you'd have to have Superman's x-ray vision. To do everything (or read/buy/own everything), you'd have to be immortal & probably as rich as Midas. To learn everything, you'd have to be Mr. Spock & mindmeld the living universe. To hear everything, you'd need the Bionic Woman's hearing implant. To find everything, you'd have to be Laura Croft AND be immortal.

It's a great concept. A powerful concept. A wickedly creative concept. It's a concept that plays well in a sci-fi or fantasy movie or comic book.

It's not a concept that works well inside a role-playing game, whether the game is live or virtual.

-Chyna

[Opinions expressed are strictly those of the writer.]

Who are we?

A new conversation has come up about KTDARPG. Who are we? Promotionally speaking, are we a role-playing game based on a now-defunct tv series called The Tribe? Or are we an rpg based on a premise, that being our Core Plotline: A virus has killed all the adults in the world. Now how do the kids survive to build a new one? And what kind of world will they build?

Especially "promotionally speaking," as we reach out to find other players/members/readers for the game, will they know The Tribe? Will they care? Will they find the rpg because of an interest in the tv show, or because the idea of a kids-only world is intriguing unto itself?

Most of us in-game today came because of The Tribe. We know the basic premise for us is the title of the game itself: Keep The Dream Alive. But moving forward...? Ah, there's the rub. The show that was our passion is only available in reruns (limited). Those of us who were lucky just attended what may be one of the last Tribal Gathering's on the planet. So what of the future?

Good luck to the Game Master & his Moderators as they hash this one out. We all want the game to continue to grow & thrive--we get new players all the time, and the fun goes on. But branding is the catchword these days...being unique, finding your audience, advertising, promotion. (Hey, that's the real-world business Chyna deals with, so believe me when I say I can appreciate the challenges.)

As things develop, we'll keep you posted.

-Chyna