Once you decide what they are (tip: Bulbapedia is always a good resource for this RP; just search for the types you're looking for, and pick from the list), have her start running, or calling for help. Someone will pick up the thread.

Ugh, maybe I should just quit the RP so I don't have to deal with these problems caused by timezones...

-hugs- That's not really a solution to anything. Time zones are an evil we can't really avoid, unfortunately. Your availability is a little wonky compared to most people's but it isn't off by that much.

(on the subject of availability notes, I'll be a bit hard to find for the next week, will be camping Wednesday through Saturday.)

So You Want To Do A Media Arc

(A wiki version is available here.)

Hello! Umbramatic here, with some advice on creating media arcs!

What is a media arc, you may ask? A miniarc or subplot that's based on media other than the Pokemon games. They have a long and storied history in WAAPT - mostly ones based on other video games, but movies and books and such have been used as well. As someone who's done two (Magic Mirror and Okamiquest) I felt I should help others by giving my advice. Here we go! (Note these steps don't need to be done in order, except perhaps the second and first.)

Do your research!

You can't do a media arc without knowing the media in question, right? It's best if you experience the work you're adapting. Watch the movie, play the game, (Or watch a Let's Play) read the book, or even read a wiki if you're pressed. Even if you have before do it again so it's fresh in your mind. Take plenty of notes, maybe make an outline. It'll help!

Adapt it!

You can't just drop a non-Pokemon story into the WAAPT world and have it work without a hitch. You've gotta Pokemon it up first! The simplest way to do this is replace many or all of the cast members and/or enemy monsters with Pokemon. However, you've also gotta integrate it into the WAAPT world without changing the WAAPT world's rules too much. For this reason, you might need to find a setting within WAAPT where your arc works best, and scale or tone things down if necessary. Additionally, some sources may not gel well with the WAAPT playerbase (Things aimed at the very young, for example.)

Talk it over!

Make sure you talk your plot over with multiple people, either privately or in Discussion. Not only can they help you work out kinks, but they can help you with interesting interpretations, twists, and mon counterparts!

See who's interested!

These kinds of arcs are no fun to do by yourself, since they're a lot of work. Ask in Discussion to see who would be interested in your arc. Chances are, you'll have takers!

I hope you take this advice and use it to make fun media arcs for everyone! /cheesymode

edited 10th Aug '13 7:10:39 PM by Umbramatic

Double post because I wanna ask something.

How can I have Ransei!Umbra do more? Because not only do I want to do more with him, I've been told the main thing holding him back as a character is he doesn't do as much as the other Warlords.

Umbra: It's probably a bit too late into the arc to do this effectively, but have him take a more active role in manipulating and acting through his minions? Taking my own character as an example - Lucanus' current situation does work rather well, since it lets him be evil of his own accord, but it might be worth having Ransei!Umbra set a Growlithe-kicking quota for him to meet or something.

All this talk of Media Arcs makes me think- Eventually(tm) I want to do an arc about...

A story. A story 'bout a Cave.

Cave Story.

This is (eventually(tm)) happening.

In anticipation of this eventually(tm) happening, I must ask you all:

who's interested?

edited 11th Aug '13 6:48:57 AM by BluBeriPi

Hmm...I'm somewhat curious as to how that would work in the RP. The only way I can think of it working is if it happened in the PMD universe. Which a lot of people are probably not too interested in going to right now.

I was thinking possibly in the Dream World?

I think the best way to get people involved would be to have cameos. Possibly of old characters that don't get enough screentime.

-cough-mewtwo-cough-

Legendaries don't count. They have their own reasons why they don't appear often.

edited 11th Aug '13 7:18:00 AM by strawberryflavored

Aye. I don't think a certain genetically designed 'Mon will be showing up.

Sorry Trip.

But still.

I know that Dune expressed interest.

Anyone else?

I'm a huuuuge fan of Cave Story. I'd be in if it's done well.

I love Cave Story.

That's the game where you have to go and mine, while these green monster things explode on you, right?

Trip: Cave Story

That one. Right there.

Not the other one.

Zeal: Excellent! This makes me happy!

Herbert: Oh? Examples of how he could do that?

And any other advice would be really appreciated, I don't like Ransei!Umbra being generally regarded as a sub-par Warlord/Villain. (Is he?)

edited 11th Aug '13 9:55:26 AM by Umbramatic

Here's my scale of Evil Overlords

The "Good" Evil Overlord: A overlord that has a approval rating, but his purposes are for evil.

The Mastermind EO: A person who manipulates for their own causes.

The "Standard" EO: The EO that tries to conquer all. He usually has large armies, and live's in Mordor.

The Omnicidal EO: This EO is the bad of the bad, he want's all the world to be destroyed.

So Umbra: Which of these EO do you want RP!Umbra to be like?

Umbra: Ransei!Umbra is an excellent villain when he appears. The problem is that he doesn't appear very often, outside of short scenes with the other Speckies. This leads to him being regarded as more of a nebulous threat than anything else - a problem which I feel Yusei also faces.

As for suggestions to help combat that/ways for him to further manipulate his minions, he could try to take a more active role in giving them orders, since at the moment most of his underlings, Lucanus included, are essentially working on their own recognisance. I'm aware that he's regarded as a behind-the-scenes threat because that's pretty much what he is, but he could try to take advantage of his influence, including his puppet kingdom right in the middle of Ransei. Lucanus isn't in a position to disobey orders, after all.

He's a combination of Standard and Mastermind on your scale, but that's not my problem. I want to know how he can do more, and if he's really a sub-par Warlord and villain.

Because if the latter is true I feel like giving up.

Herbert: Ah... I'll try to make him more active on those fronts again.

edited 11th Aug '13 10:10:14 AM by Umbramatic

Have the mastermind overlord trick the pc:s into doing something that MAJORLY helps him out to hammer the point home that he's a slimy bastard.

edited 11th Aug '13 10:10:39 AM by Nitro836

Unveil a secret weapon?

Hmm... I wish I could help more, but I'm still uncertain about my own skills when it comes to writing for villains. I think you're doing pretty well so far, though.

Umbra: I think Herbert put it best. Ransei!Umbra is a great villain, he just doesn't appear often enough for him to be the most popular as a character, which is in actuality a perfectly fine thing.

However, my two bits are this; don't worry about whether or not he's a sub-par villain, he's not and never will be. As for a Warlord... because of the complications of how he's being a villain, you can't be as direct, as involved, and ultimatley screen-time and ineraction are what help lead to fondness, and it's a bit late in the game to significantly change that. But that's nothing to get worked up over. Keep doing mostly what you're doing and you should be fine, again, in my opinion.

Yusei is supposed to be nebulously threatening, by the way. The point is that people don't know why he's attacking. It's why I have characters like Stone, who actually do things. :P

Also, DS, I really liked the chapter. There was some good character development for Sera (I just wanted to give her a hug by the end, but also to facepalm at how badly this is going to go over later), and I'm glad we're starting to get Blitz's backstory. And I'm super excited for the team getting to Silver Rank! Also, the cameo by Basket and Maekrite was cute. :3