Darker Days

Good days. Bad days. Rainy & sunny days. Light days...dark days. "The Tribe" had them all. So does our game.

KTDARPG has hit a dark patch with Season-6, which we titled The Right to Dream as a nod to the show's primary theme to "keep the dream alive." With heavy plotting that deals with slavery... well, having the right to dream of something better just makes sense.

Anybody who enjoys a good book or movie or tv show knows that "nice" & "normal" & "happy families" gets kinda boring after awhile. When real-life is like that, it's kinda boring. Safe, but definitely boring.

Several players have twisted the current plot so that it's surely not boring. Yes, the violence level has gone up (though graphic violence is at a minimum & cussing seems a lot milder lately too). So has interest in the game. We've added a lot of new players recently, and it seems like everybody's posting. We're on track for our absolute best month for # of posts in more than 3 years. The stories are exciting, edgy, interesting & bringing more depth to Fort River & to the lives our characters are leading.

Fort River isn't very safe these days, but it's interesting to read about. Some of the threads will have you on the edge of your seat, waiting for what comes next.

If you're not already a member, stop by & check us out. You might wanna stay awhile.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Status Quo

Welcome back, Angie.
Your friends missed you.

-Chyna

RPG lessons learned, # 4

I lost a friend today. That's what it feels like.

Whenever a player unsubscribes from KTDA, it's a real loss.

I know it's not personal, or some kinda judgment or like that. Some people don't have time or 100 other reasons.

Doesn't make it easier.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Guest Blog: Weather or not?

Rain...

Water from the sky...

A beacon of home or a fore-shadowing of doom?

Refreshing or bone chilling?

Pereceptions.

It's fall and the rains come with numbingly cold winds that sap strength. Overcast gray skies create a gloom that reaches everywhere, stealing heat, dousing spirits. Thick mud slows feet trodding through the showers.

Yet it is rain. In spring and summer it's a joy. Warm rain, fun puddles, making the earth green. Lightening storms are amazing works of thunder and great flashes of light etching across the sky. There is power...or just fun.

Rain has many faces, all which create different settings...placements. It sets the tone of a scene, an atmosphere of despair or hope...sometimes both. In movies rain is used to put emphasis on a scene, with lighting indicating mood.

In KTDARPG, we have used rain and weather in all forms for setting the tone of the game. Battles were fought in rain, with lightening flashing at the climax. A hurricane set the tone for the oppressive harshness of winter. Sunlight and moonlight seem like minor touches yet they add a life to a scene--a connection otherwise lost to us.

Weather isn't something we can escape, even in windowless buildings. Spring fever and the increase of energy permeates. As winter's cold winds penetrate our bones so does weather affect our players' moods and actions. Summer a time of action...Winter a time of rest....in the game its Spring, and the rain didn't bother the people at Market Day. It was refreshing, a reminder of the newness of spring and of life. And all the players whether in one thread or another reacted to the rain, uniting the characters.

It's all in the perception. Each player or character would see the rain from their different viewpoints. To the homeless it's an unwelcomed bath, to a bartender increased business, to a farmer a lifesaver. For Fort River is a city of different people and places, and even the weather is affected by the perceptions.

- Hawk

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

RPG lessons learned, # 28

It's amazing what you can learn if you open yourself up for it.

KTDARPG was my first role-playing game & is still my favorite. Every now & then, when I stand back & just watch--the players, the characters, the action--well, you can learn if you let yourself.

Here's Lesson #28: "You can't see the forest for the trees."

Ok, that was vague. Here's what I mean.

You the player have a character you know EXACTLY what you want to do with. You've made your plans & you're determined to stick to them no matter what. You won't be distracted. You won't be moved. You're on a course to your Goal, and by hell you're gonna get there.

It's an easy trap to fall into. What it means, basically, is you're playing with yourself. You've shut yourself off to input from other characters, from the game setting, from all other actions happening around your character. Not a good place to be.

See that's the beauty of role-playing. Characters act & react to each other. Just like with real-world people, that's how characters grow & develop & get stronger.

But to do that, you have to stay open. Your character has to listen to what others say, be aware of what's happening all around you. Which also means it helps if you actually read posts that may have nothing directly to do with your character--because all the posts have to do with the game world itself. And the game world affects your character intimately.

So maybe a word to the wise rp'er: keep yourself open. Be aware of all the game around you--and then take advantage of it like crazy!

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Tribe holidays?

I never really thought about it before, but the concept of holidays was pretty much lost in "The Tribe."

Throughout 5 years (and I could be wrong, but this is what I remember), there was no Christmas, no New Year's Day, no Valentine's Day, no Halloween, no Thanksgiving, no Independence Day ... or take it a step further. There was no "Virus Day" or commemoration of any kind for when their world changed so dramatically.

I'm not saying there weren't celebrations because there were. Offhand I can think of the dance party for all the tribes, the Tribal Meeting on the beach, the wedding celebrations for Ryan/Salene and Lex/Taisan, and the party after the defeat of the Guardian. These were all very localized and not anything that would be repeated.

Our Tribe-characters lived very much day to day or week to week. The only time they looked toward a more distant future was to wonder what it would be like ... and if they'd be alive for it.

I guess any of our modern-day holidays really would be out of place in a world that had no clocks ... no calendars ... no traditions that hadn't been totally blown away.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Personal Vision

In some ways it's true, art mirrors life. Or in our case, The Tribe mirrors KTDARPG.

Take the concept of Personal Vision. Each of us, as fans or players, has a personal vision--our view of the television show that inspired the game, and of the game itself. We come from different places, so of course our perspectives are going to differ. Differences are good. They make life interesting, exciting, fun!

Well...mostly they do. It depends on how we express our unique personal vision that sometimes causes a bit of conflict. Art mirrors life. Check it out.

Amber had a personal vision of a future worth fighting for. She believed very strongly in democracy, in not telling people how to live their lives, and in every kid having a right to a good life. (In some ways Danni was like her, except maybe Danni took it a bit too far at times insisting on a Bill of Rights and documents and "signing on the dotted line.")

If Amber was the traditional politician, Zoot was the total opposite. The Emperor. The Dictator. With him it was definitely MY WAY. No "highway" option. He saw the New World coming and had his own ideas about how kids would take control & survive. His was a vision of strength that would force the future to be what he wanted. His methods were...well, painful.

Then there was the Guardian. His personal vision was Zoot-ist but he went even farther: he worshipped Zoot as a god. He taught and demanded that others bow down. Generally, those who didn't bow down were either thrown off a building or burned at the stake. Talk about throw-backs to the dark ages.

A more all-encompassing personal vision was what Ram conceived. A world changed and forever controlled by technology. And he was capable of being more pervasive because hey! He had planes! He had trucks! He had dune buggies! He had a pretty large army with his Technos. He also restored electricity and television and then controlled them both! Now there was some power.

When it came right down to it, the show was about smaller personal visions too. Take Java. She had some relatively small but powerful visions for her future: Punish Ebony. Love Ram. The girl didn't need much more than that to be happy.

Just like the tv show and its characters, our rpg & its players also have their personal visions about the game.

First we start with the owners & moderators. Their visions were merged and formed into the game-rules that direct our play and, ultimately, our game-world. Oh, those rules are fluid. Definitely. Over the course of the last 3 years, rules have come and gone and changed. Just like our concepts and our views of our game-world have changed and evolved.

Players also have their personal visions. Each and every one of them do. That's how they play. That's how they craft and give life to their characters. And that's how some players have almost come to blows!

When one player thinks their way of player is the right way to play--and tries to coerce others into believing the same and acting the same...not exactly cool.

When the competition gets fierce, the off-game chatter can heat up exponentially. It's hurt some feelings a few times, too. Lots of damage control.

The key, of course, is to lighten up! To take people--and the game--as you find them and not insist people do things your way. Not insist that YOU know what's right and they should definitely listen to YOUR interpretations.

Because that's when Owner-Chyna has to step in and mediate. And that kinda sucks! Zoot & Java & Ram and all the others were fine when they were in the tv show. But in KTDARPG? No way!

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

That's Entertainment?

You gotta figure, in a world where all the teenagers are basically pushed back to the Stone Age, they're still gonna come up with SOMETHING to do for fun. But in a world with no movies, no tv, no pizza joints, no amped-up rock concerts, no pro or college sports, no cars to go cruising in ... what's a respectable teen to do for entertainment?

"The Tribe" was filled with quite a bit on that score. A lot of it came in Season-1.

The Dance Party was fun. Leave it to Jack to work magic with batteries, a cd player and some big speakers. Music, mood lighting, refreshments, dancing...yep, that was a good night.

With the right weather, there was always the standard Day at the Beach. Sun, surf, friends. Also good.

It was KC who came up with the idea for the Mallrats first literal Rat Race. Find a rat. Train a rat. Figure out a way to rig the race. Invite your friends. Make lots of bets. Yeah, that was our KC in spades!

Then there was the always-popular shopping. The tribe-meeting on the beach. The Mallrats own little shopping center inside the mall. Even in a world where you're pretty much down to bare necessities, you still have to shop for those necessities. And from "The Tribe" you could tell--shopping was way more fun than scrounging.

All of that pretty much describes how we've brought elements of entertainment into our rpg. Every Thursday is "market day" at Tango Lake, so you've got all the shopping you could wish for. Home has the cd-player going for customers who want a drink or a game of pool or darts. You want more? Head to the Mirage for live music along with the best casino gambling Fort River has to offer. There's swimming at Tango Lake or, if you're brave enough, in StormRiver. And you never know when you might find a pick-up game of soccer or baseball.

In other words, kids are kids no matter the situation. All work and no play? Not gonna happen. It's actually fun seeing how much fun we can find in a world that's upside down.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Betrayal

Isn't it interesting, how our definitions of things tend to change? Take "betrayal" for instance. The word signifies something very powerful--being betrayed, played for a fool, used. Not exactly pleasant. Even more interesting, depending on how we define it, is that the Betrayer can be seen either as a hero or a villain. Need some examples? No problem.

Trudy betrayed her tribe to the Guardian & The Chosen. Ergo, she was very much a villainous person. Because of her, the Mallrats were left vulnerable and finally subjugated by The Chosen. Yet to The Chosen what she did was magnificent. She was, indeed, Supreme Mother. Well, for a little while anyway.

May, Taisan and Ellie were also betrayers, but they were considered very much heroines. May played double-agent, finally siding wholey with the Mallrats against The Chosen. Taisan was a self-styled mole within The Chosen. She was their second Supreme Mother, and she used her role to sow confusion for the the Guardian and ultimately work to bring them down from the inside. Ellie used her "womanly ways" to snare Luke who was the Guardian's strongest lieutenant. Not only did she snare him, she turned HIM into a betrayer, too.

Ned was also a betrayer. He betrayed the hospitality of the Mallrats and even his love for Alice when he kidnapped Amber & Trudy and ultimately made off with the Guardian hoping to trade him for riches and power. He got what most betrayers usually get--he died at the Guardian's hand.

KTDARPG has seen extremely few betrayers, either as heroes or villains. I think it's because, among us players, it isn't so much in our nature to play "the betrayer" even when it's just play. But you never know. The game's come a long way, but there's still lots more to go!

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

The Good of the Tribe

"For the Good of the Tribe."

"For the Good of the Empire."

"For the Good of the Land."

To dedicated people, those phrases have meaning & purpose. Some focus their efforts, even their lives, to the belief that a higher good truly exists & has value. Such belief helps an individual endure even the most abhorrent circumstances, to win through harder...better...stronger.

Amber said: "I believe the future is worth fighting for."

It's a worthy premise, something that our rp-players might agree with if their writing is any indication of their character.

Here's to the believers.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Halloween is coming...

As it gets closer to Halloween, some of my "Tribe" friends are finding interesting sidelines. The latest one involves names. There's a website -- www.deadname.com -- where you insert your real-world name and it gives you your "goth" name.

Ok, ok, I know. But bored people do strange things sometimes.

Yep. I tried it. And my official goth name turned up as "Bloody Angel." (and I'll confess here that the 2nd choice goth-name for me was "Disturbed Angel." Interesting...)

See what you get.

-Chyna

Photo source: http://absolutestockphoto.com

D*C List, Part-2

More from Hawk...

List, Part-2: Dragon*Con 2007 Memories, from Hawk

1. You CAN dance with a sword on your back.

2. Only at Evening in Bree does the song "Merry Merry May" = Macarena dancing.

3. Armour is NOT good for dancing--especially full chain mail.

4. Registered nurses, docs and First Responders like to dress up as Elves and Hobbits.

5. People love Carmen Sandiego--and DragonCon-ers want to catch her too!

6. "Munchkins" doesn't just mean characters from Wizard of Oz...its a game, too!

7. The silent ones are the most dangerous.

8. Don't let Hawk near the Pinata.

9. Beware the Harley Quinn with the mallet...or was it the hyenas?

10. James Mamoa looks EXACTLY like his character.

11. Ten pounds of candy is not enough to throw during the parade (30lb per person! )

12. Beware the Stormtroopers-- it might be a star inside!

13. Bohemian Rhaspody in a full elevator = great times!!!

-Chyna

Lists, Part 1

Well, feedback from Dragon*Con has been pretty scarce. I know from the news that it was the absolute biggest crowd ever. I heard 45,000 ... and I heard they're adding a 4th hotel to the convention hosts for next year because of it.

Hawk has sent me a couple of things, stuff she learned from her convention experiences and put into lists. So I figured, hey why not? I'll share them here. I'm sure her DC companions will appreciate them, and future con-goers might get a clue, yeah?

Anyway, here's list-part-1: Regarding Costumes, from Hawk

1. Details can make or break a costume. Makeup is one of the essential details.

2. Half-hearted makeup should be avoided. Put the time into it or don't do it at all.

3. WARNING! If you choose to make it realistic...you might want to warn your friends. Otherwise you'll have them planning revenge for the "scare you give them."

4. Real scars are rarely in a straight line.

5. Body paint looks great...until you sweat.

6. Wings are cool...until you need to fit into an elevator.

7. A dress with a train is regal...until you navigate the lobby of the Hyatt in it.

8. Georgia heat + air conditioning + 30,000 people = essential factors in choosing a costume.

9. Remember, you need to eat. So plan accordingly when you design your costume.

10. Likewise, dependable pockets are a must!

((and Chyna adds this one: Likewise, remember you have to go to the bathroom sometimes too!))

11. Chose a costume that fits your figures--your body, and your pocketbook

12. High heels look cool and will kill your feet.

-Chyna

Another Anniversary

We're a few weeks shy of KTDARPG's 3rd anniversary. The game came into existence on the streets of Fort River on Oct. 17, 2004.

It's been a bumpy ride. Our players created unique, fascinating characters. Some died in the game. Some are still with us. Just like our players--they've come & gone, and we really miss the ones who had to go in a different direction.

The game has changed a lot since those first days. More like the game has grown as the players have grown & gotten more used to role-playing together. We've tried new things; some worked & some were kind of a bust. But still, it was fun!

Hard to imagine 3 years have gone by. In our game, the characters have lived through 8 months of challenges, battles, births, deaths, and dealing with life in general.

So tonight, this is Chyna's tribute to finishing off the 3rd year of a great game with great friends. I'm really looking forward to whatever the new year holds for us.

-Chyna, Game Co-Owner, KTDARPG

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Was anyone else disappointed?

Maybe it was just me. [sigh] But the buzz about "Kid Nation" made a lot of us flashback to "The Tribe" and look forward to this new reality show from CBS. I mean wow--actually taking the no-adults-kids-alone-build-society premise and doing it in real-time.

Did you see it?

Yeah, not exactly what I expected either.

But c'mon, guys. This is TELEVISION. Even more, it's AMERICAN television. Take it one step farther, REALITY television. And this is from the network that brings us "Survivor" every year. Guess I shouldn't have been surprised at the similarities, properly watered down for the 8-15 aged audience.

It started promising enough. Deserted ghost town, 40 kids...the scene where they dumped the pot of totally inedible macaroni in the street was a laugh. But the minute the announcer-dude said there was gonna be a challenge ... yeah. That was it.

They don't have to worry about water or finding food. They've got a well-stocked "soda" saloon along with a general store. Each kid is "paid" according to his status in their "society." There's even a phone locked up in one of the buildings.

So far the most real thing to me was (a) the fact that the oldest guys are looking like the bullies, seeing how they can maneuver over the younger kids, complete with graffiti when nobody's looking; and (b) that when they finished their first challenge, they actually chose a collection of outhouses over 1 television set. Imagine that?

I'll probably keep watching it for a while to see how it develops, but my expectations have been properly lowered. They were out there for 40 days. I think I'm more interested in seeing the last episode, to see who's left standing when the dust clears.

Hey, if you've got an opinion, share it! I'll be more than glad to give you "comment" time right here.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright CBS Broadcasting Inc.

Death & Dying, Tribe-style

Our game has finally calmed down a bit. Honestly there were whole seasons when every time we turned around somebody was dying. Mostly from bloody battles. And it didn't matter if they were insignificant crowd-NPCs or primary characters. Some players were hit pretty hard when characters they knew so well suddenly had their final grave-side scenes.

That got me thinking about "The Tribe." (Yeah, yeah, I know. What else is new, right?)

My overall impression about the show since it ended a few years back was that death wasn't a very big theme. Sure lots of people died but my memory insisted it was pretty sterile & clean, befitting a tv-show meant for kids.

So I strolled back through the dvd's & the season summaries ... boy, was I wrong.

First of all a lot of people died. A lot more than I remembered. Start with the obvious--"Zandra" in season two (blowed up), "Dal" in season three (fell off a building), "Ned" in season four (the "Guardian" got him), and "Pride" in season five (killed by Technos). So how many of just those few had you forgot about? And that's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Kids were dying or being killed all over the place. And some of it was actually pretty gross.

Remember one of the early scenes where The Chosen first took over the city & the "Guardian" was threatening "Dani" trying to get her to bow down to him? Yeeeaahhh. I'll never forget when he ordered some of his men to drag somebody upstairs & throw 'em off the roof. Or season one where they found "Spike" floating dead in "Ebony's" pool. (It never did pay to piss that lady off.)

There were a lot more, mostly nameless people dying in fights or electrocuted when the power unexpectedly cut back on & other stuff like that. It was certainly more than I remembered.

But there was one thing worse ... when people disappeared. I really really hate that little tv-technique. If an actor gives you any trouble like wanting a pesky pay raise or a new lightbulb in his dressing room--WHAM! All of a sudden his character disappears in the script. You never ever know what that means! Is he dead? Will he be back? Well that depends...and it really sucks. They teased us with a few scenes of Techno-"Taisan" at the beginning of season 5. And later that season we glimpsed a very grown-up-looking "KC" and a caged "Alice" & the "Guardian." But what about the others? Dammit, what happened to "Bray" 'n "Patsy" 'n "Cloe" 'n "Ved"? Where did "Ryan" wind up? Or "Luke"?

I know, they're all somewhere out there in mythical Tribe-land & we can only speculate.

Hehe...that's ok. Speculating's kinda fun.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

C'mon, guys. We're waiting for it!

Today is Tuesday. Dragon*Con ended yesterday. Those of you who were lucky enough to be there, we're waited for our con-reports. C'mon give! The less fortunate at least want to know about the fun second-hand!

-Chyna

KTDARPG: A Life of Its Own

I'm not sure when orhow it happened. Probably somewhere in 2006, along about game season four. And probably when we found out how much we had invested in our game characters, enough for them to take on lives of their own and essentially grow beyond us.

What started as a small little rp with a handful of people, a tribute to an obscure little tv show from New Zealand called "The Tribe," took us farther than we could've imagined. "Keep The Dream Alive" was pretty much the motto of the show so it became the name of the rp.

We've gone a long way with that title. Through 3 years and a lot of different dreams and into six game seasons now with 61 members/readers/players. In '06 we even had our own mini-Tribe-gathering; rp players meeting up for the first time at Dragon*Con with some surprising results.

Players have come & gone but friendships continue to endure. Our youngest players have sorta grown up with the game. It's fun to see how much their writing & plotting skills have grown through the seasons.

We started with a little concept--a Virus wipes out all the adults leaving the kids to try and survive--and we've made our own world of it.

Ok, yeah, I'm proud of our rp. Our players have given me lots of reasons to be.

So this is sort of an early anniversary shout-out to the players and the characters and the readers and everyone who's been involved with KTDARPG. Thanks for the story. Thanks for the memories. Thanks for your friendship.

-Chyna

Left Behind

ok i'll admit it . . . jealous here. totally jealous. 3 days left to dragon*con & Chyna won't be at the party. real-life slams you in the gut when you least expect it. the absolutely WORST part was actually having a room reserved & everything lined up to go -- THEN having to cancel. Not a good feeling, guys. not at all. so here's my salute to Hawk 'n Pixie 'n Darla 'n Jackie 'n Ransom 'n Rio & anybody else from our KTDARPG family who might be getting in on the d*c fun this year. And when 2oo8 rolls around? Chyna'll be there. You can take that to the bank.

Have a blast, guys!

-Chyna

To Your Health

Aside from the Virus, there were only a few times in "The Tribe" that they dealt with any issue of health.

Easy enough to recount them: Trudy's post-partum (Season-1), Ram confined to a wheelchair (Season-3), Lex's absessed tooth (Season-3), Selene's injured hand that got infected (Season-5).

That always puzzled me because after the Virus & all the adults died, the world should've been swept by even more disease & more death. No more running water or sewer systems that worked, rotting corpses, rats to spread disease, bad food, tribe wars ... hell, even the least scratch on your hand or skinned knee could've/should've been fatal.

Strangely enough "health" was something addressed early on in our rpg. As players built characters and decided their backgrounds, it was probably just common sense that led them to build in a knowledge of first aid or herbs or possession of some of the last stashes of drugs & medical supplies.

Today we have a dedicated healer "Krystal" as part of our cast & a highly trained medic in "Eris." (And possibly another healer-type character that we don't know much about yet.) Probably a very good thing, since our game has dealt with everything from horrific battle injuries to chicken pox to pregnancy to a 2nd round of the Virus.

When I think about it I'm not sure which is actually more realistic.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"