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."-ChynaPhoto source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"
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
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
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...-ChynaPhoto source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"
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!"-ChynaPhoto source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"
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.-ChynaPhoto source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe," and borrowed from the KTDARPG website
Last night was greatLots 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.-ChynaPhoto source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"
Right now, it isofficially 0200in Israel, whichis where the"Keep the DreamAlive" rpg beganexactly 2 years agoOctober 17, 2004.
To all of the game'sPlayers, 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
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
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
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
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.-ChynaPhoto source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"
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.-ChynaPhoto source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"
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? :)-ChynaPhoto source--copyright Cloud 9 "The Tribe"
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!)
