Everybody grows.

Over the past few months I've been getting a bit of flack & a snide remark every now 'n then about the premise of KTDARPG.

If you've visited the site, you know it states plainly inspired by "The Tribe." That "inspired by" holds some importance to those of us who've been around the game most of it's 3-1/2 years.

If you aren't aware, "The Tribe" was a great tv-show out of New Zealand that ran for 5 seasons -- a post-apocalyptic world where a Virus wiped out the adult population & left the kids to find a way to not only survive but to build a new society.

And so...that's where our rpg began. A world without adults, and kids left to rule.

In 5 seasons, which was just about 5 years real-time, "The Tribe" covered about 1 year of survival for the characters we grew to love & be fascinated by. (And isn't it amazing how much Jack, as well as a lot of other characters, grew in that short amount of time!)

In 7 game-seasons, working on 4 years, our rpg has surpassed our inspiration. Currently in the game we're about 2+ years past the Virus outbreak. We have a lot of characters, and things change fast. It's been fun watching characters grow & develop in the game, step by step.

See, that's the key. Our characters have grown. Our game has grown. We've solved some of the problems the tv-show characters were challenged by, and others we've grown beyond. Where the tv-show had to be worried about broadcast censors & a lowest-common-denominator audience, our game has no such limitations. It's been more violent at times; it's been more hormonal at times. I think that means it's shown more realism than the tv-show was allowed to do. But KTDARPG hasn't degenerated into fantasy or superman or ridiculous. (Ok, I might be wrong on the ridiculous; but who am I to judge what inspires some of our players to do what they do?)

Our plots have dealt with submission & slavery, violence & hope, survival & strength of self. I'd challenge anybody to tell me that doesn't mirror what we saw in "The Tribe," and what we admired about it.

For the future, who knows? We have some great creative players. The collaborations are often brilliant & always fun!

If you aren't a member of our game, check us out sometime. The story might surprise you.

If you are a member/player, hi! And thanks! You're the one who's made it fun!

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

What touches you?

What touches you?

Fires your imagination?

Keeps you coming back?

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Me? Ahh...ok. I'm easy. Anybody who knows me knows I'm always drawn to the Bad Boy or Bad Girl. Can't help it. Those are the ones who hold the biggest surprises, the biggest emotional charge, the boldest--or briefest--futures.

From "The Tribe," forget about Amber totally. Forget Salene until you got around to Season-5 when she kicked back finally. Add to that Ellie, Dani & Taisan. I was watching Ebony, May, Moz, Alice, Ruby & any girl who had the guts to survive without waiting on somebody to hold her hand.

Guys? That's even easier. Bray was a bust. Ryan was sweet but ultimately useless, and mostly Pride didn't have a clue. Put the spotlight on Lex, Slade, Jay, Ram or Mega. That's where the action & power & interest was. You could count on it from the minute they came on scene.

Yeah, I guess that shows up in my KTDARPG characters.

The girls are all over the place--from crazy-ass "Villa" & metamorphosing "Cecily" to strong but ultrafeminine "Valentine" to useless-but-we're-working-on-it "Jade." The girls I really have fun watching when they're in top form are conflicted "Eris," warrior-without-a-war "Hawk," the exotic "Blackrose" & kick-ass Arianna. (I'm waiting to see what becomes of the new bard "Jenna" & where "Maggie" winds up.)

I haven't done too many male characters, and the best ones were pretty short-lived: psychotic "Nemesis," the man of many faces "Bishop," and the behind-the-scenes newspaperman "Cosmo." The guys I watch are a blast--Prince & Marionette, Ace & Tristan & Urick, Vincent & the enigmatic Scarecrow. If I could I'd put every one of 'em on tv in a heartbeat!

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The point? Well, yeah, there is a point here. For me, I figure out what it is I like about the characters I enjoy watching & try to put some of that in my own characters. If it's a depth of emotion or commitment I appreciate, I try to emulate that. If it's just a wild, carefree attitude then it's fun to try to play with that inside my own creations.

So there you have it. Moral of the Story: Steal everything! Hehe...ok, not quite that. But find those traits you appreciate--in other people, other characters, or even inside yourself--and put those into the characters you create.

Bottom line, they'll be more "real" and people will enjoy them more.

There endeth the lesson.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"

Pick your partnerships carefully

A lot of the fun of posting in a text-based rpg is the variety of personalities you deal with. Even more important are their writing and online habits--when you're working hard on a scenario, the player you're working with really can make or break you! There are something like...4, i think?...4 types of rpg-ers when it comes to KTDARPG.

(1) The Devoted Player -- This is the person who's in it for the story & the fun! S/he is online a lot (usually because they use computers a lot on the job or in the classroom) and always up for a good back-n-forth, which tends to give a sense of urgency to the writing & can really move a story along. If you're another Devoted Player, this is who you want for your writing partner. If you're not another Devoted Player, you have to make sure you let your partner know your limitations or schedule. Otherwise disappointment will abound!

(2) The Recreational Player -- This person is your "normal player." S/he is online maybe once a day for a while, able to catch up on reading & posting with their character. Once you understand their patterns, Recreational Players are really the backbone of the game. They're dependable & methodical. They keep the story steady, covering all the bases. Just about anyone can have fun posting with Recreationals. Their stories develop a little slower but it gets there...and is usually pretty powerful when it does.

(3) The Sporadic Player -- This may be your once-a-week guy, the one with a wicked school or work schedule but who's devoted to the game & you know will post as soon as s/he can. Sometimes you'll hear nothing for 3-4 days then get a flurry of posts as they try to catch up on everything. It can be fun to watch but gets just a bit frustrating when you're playing opposite them if you aren't expecting it. Sporadics are valuable team members. They know the story, they read the posts, and even when they aren't posting they're planning for it. By the time they're back in the game, they're ready to hit the ground running.

(4) The Bland Player -- Every game has them. These players really do enjoy the game & want to be part of it. Sometimes they don't have time. Sometimes they lose their enthusiasm. Sometimes they just don't know how to keep up. While they're in "bland" mode, they generally don't read the posts. They'll post maybe every month or so just to keep their presence in the game...problem is, since they don't read the posts & know the story, their posts tend to be confusing.

Know what though? From Devoted to Bland, every player is a part of your team. And every team member can have an impact on the story. Whatever kind of player you are, you just have to find your niche & not apologize. You do what you can do. Some can do more. Some will do less. When a game goes as long as ours has, we have players come 'n go 'n then come back again.

Each one is always welcome. You just never know when that sporadic player will become a devoted one, or the recreational will become a bland player for awhile.

After all....it's a game. And the game goes on.

-Chyna