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Tangent128 from Virginia Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
#4751: Jan 23rd 2012 at 3:33:15 PM

I'm okay with using a formula plot, if we're ripping off a different formula each time. There are lots of stock plots to pick from, still used because, well, they're good stock.

Apart from the logistical issue with final bosses (which I do think the buddy system could mitigate if the boss is set up such that there are enough targets on the opposing side), my main issue with "Track down X, Save the Y" plots are that the characters don't really matter. It's the Pokémon world, any 10-year-old can battle baddies.

My favored stories involve putting ordinary people in weird/unusual/absurd situations, but focus on exploring their interpersonal reactions to it. Not to say that I dislike awesome moments- I love them, and try to write them wherever I can. But I prefer them to be awesome in a way that highlights that character's personality.

edited 23rd Jan '12 3:37:00 PM by Tangent128

Do you highlight everything looking for secret messages?
SilentReverence adopting kitteh from 3 tiles right 1 tile up Since: Jan, 2010
adopting kitteh
#4752: Jan 23rd 2012 at 3:35:10 PM

...Oh Arceus I had forgot about the Anti-J-Team idea. And it sounds like it would be awesome.

They could have many different backgrounds that only coincide in that they loathe us. Heck perhaps some of them are pulling off enemy mines. From the "Missed the Call" perspective we could have Dawn and Ethan, while on the "we have been making their lives hell" end I'm sure some of us have overcome a Trainer who was similar to us in some respects (I doubt Mezzo is the only Dark-type specialist for example). And then for an extra twist throw in our equivalent of the cabbage man as well.

The best part of the idea is that their goal, beyond ridiculing/beating/replacing us, can be whatever they want. We don't need to hold ourselves as key constructors of the plot as tightly, in a "player-to-character" sense.

edited 23rd Jan '12 3:36:34 PM by SilentReverence

Fanfic Recs orwellianretcon'd: cutlocked for committee or for Google?
Luke924 Since: Nov, 2010
#4753: Jan 23rd 2012 at 3:36:43 PM

[up][up] THIS.

I prefer more character focused stuff too, and it's hard to do that when you're trying to kill the Monster of the Week. So, more of this, please?

Tangent128 from Virginia Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
#4754: Jan 23rd 2012 at 3:41:21 PM

You can mix characterization with Monster of the Week. Ideally, by making the opponent usually be a more personal-scale antagonist. Somebody who has to be a major antagonist for 20 different personalities is by necessity going to be rather generic; either they focus on a specific protagonist, making the rest along for the ride, or they are simply a bag of HP and EXP.

Do you highlight everything looking for secret messages?
stargirl93 Snowy from Zemuria Since: Jul, 2010 Relationship Status: Gone fishin'
Snowy
#4755: Jan 23rd 2012 at 3:44:44 PM

[up][up][up] [up]Yeah, you know what Tangent? I actually like doing that. (in fact, I think that's one of the main reasons why I joined this RP.)

[up] Which is pretty much what my idea was, since they would mainly focus on their counterpart (unless someone pulls an Opponent Switch.)

DarkerShining (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#4756: Jan 23rd 2012 at 3:47:56 PM

Hmm... On the subject of evil counterparts to the J-team, I doubt that Dawn would be DS' evil counterpart, since she is unaware that she could've been the one to stop Team Galactic had things been different. However, I do have some ideas for what an evil counterpart of DS could be like...

I imagine she'd either be some kind of jerk, or someone who does seem kind like DS, but uses her kindness to manipulate people rather than try to help them.

PippingFool Eclipse the Moon from A Floridian Prison Since: Oct, 2009 Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
Eclipse the Moon
#4757: Jan 23rd 2012 at 4:24:40 PM

I was going to make Fool's Evil Counterpart considerable less dangerous than Fool.

If only to use the line "You know, she's actually LESS Evil than Fool".

I'm having to learn to pay the price
memyselfandI2 Dunsparce Cloud from The Biosphere Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Hooked on a feeling
Dunsparce Cloud
#4759: Jan 23rd 2012 at 4:52:05 PM

Imagine Spot~

Every: So...we're supposed to battle now, huh?

Every's Evil Counterpart: Yep.

Every: ...You don't want to do this either, do you?

Every's Evil Counterpart: ...No, not really.

Every: Rock-paper-scissors, best out of three?

Every's Evil Counterpart: Sure.

Dunsparce didn't stop being a thing or anything.
BadWolf21 Since: May, 2010
#4760: Jan 23rd 2012 at 4:53:10 PM

wild mass guess PEFE!Every will be Brainwashed and Crazy'd into being Evil!Every.

Pentigan Fwomph from The Underverse Since: Apr, 2010
Fwomph
#4761: Jan 23rd 2012 at 5:03:29 PM

BCF will be Pent's counterpart on the Anti-J-Team.

And she'll be giving confidential Anti-J-Team information to Greg Palmer for a double paycheck -Evilface-.

It's clearly a case of backroom political albumizing.
memyselfandI2 Dunsparce Cloud from The Biosphere Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Hooked on a feeling
Dunsparce Cloud
#4762: Jan 23rd 2012 at 5:05:00 PM

[up][up] Silly Wolf, PEFE!Every is already evil~

Dunsparce didn't stop being a thing or anything.
Hobgoblin Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#4763: Jan 23rd 2012 at 5:11:55 PM

I wonder what Evil Rex and Kim would be like. o_o

SilentReverence adopting kitteh from 3 tiles right 1 tile up Since: Jan, 2010
adopting kitteh
#4764: Jan 23rd 2012 at 5:22:45 PM

So we will all be actually going with Evil Counterparts as in actually evil, or will there be some opportunistic or Lawful Selfish or similar stuff for counterparts as well?

Also, if we go this way, I'm preparing two surprises for Silent's counterpart.

edited 23rd Jan '12 5:23:03 PM by SilentReverence

Fanfic Recs orwellianretcon'd: cutlocked for committee or for Google?
memyselfandI2 Dunsparce Cloud from The Biosphere Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Hooked on a feeling
Dunsparce Cloud
#4765: Jan 23rd 2012 at 5:23:32 PM

Silent: Counterparts with a reason to oppose their opposite number, I'd guess.

Dunsparce didn't stop being a thing or anything.
Umbramatic Meet The New Boss from WAAPT usually, sometimes WHABP or maybe PEFE Since: Nov, 2009 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Meet The New Boss
#4766: Jan 23rd 2012 at 5:25:36 PM

I honestly can't think of what Umbra's EC would be... and are we gonna cancel Keystone or PMD? Because I had plans to introduce important characters in those.

edited 23rd Jan '12 5:26:35 PM by Umbramatic

Contact Me!
Crewe Li'l Punk from Gravity Falls, Oregon Since: Apr, 2010
Li'l Punk
#4767: Jan 23rd 2012 at 5:31:51 PM

I'd say not so much evil counterparts, as people that dislike their counterpart.

For example, Ashley's counterpart is a perfectly nice person, they just feel they could do a better job than her, and are also a little jealous of the J-team.

Victory! Honor! Destiny! Mutton!
stargirl93 Snowy from Zemuria Since: Jul, 2010 Relationship Status: Gone fishin'
Snowy
#4768: Jan 23rd 2012 at 5:32:26 PM

[up][up]I was expecting this to be after those, during Kanto/Johto at the earliest.

edited 23rd Jan '12 5:32:40 PM by stargirl93

rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#4769: Jan 23rd 2012 at 7:17:58 PM

[up][up][up] What Star said. Besides, if we did, considering the stuff I already had planned and foreshadowed, I'd be kind of pissed.

edited 23rd Jan '12 7:19:43 PM by rmctagg09

Hugging a Vanillite will give you frostbite.
Hobgoblin Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#4770: Jan 23rd 2012 at 8:26:29 PM

Guys, I need to limit the amount of time I use WAAPT. I find myself in the chatroom most of the day, even when I'm at school or work. I'm planning on limiting my time in the forum/chatroom down to three hours on weekdays (not sure about weekends yet).

Do you think you could help me keep this up? It really means a lot to me and is the only way I can keep from having to quit the RP entirely.

SilentReverence adopting kitteh from 3 tiles right 1 tile up Since: Jan, 2010
adopting kitteh
#4771: Jan 23rd 2012 at 8:42:29 PM

[up] A chatroom that is actually ontopic would help with that, as would giving the Recap page a better structure and more attention. Also, don't leave us... sad

Fanfic Recs orwellianretcon'd: cutlocked for committee or for Google?
SilentReverence adopting kitteh from 3 tiles right 1 tile up Since: Jan, 2010
adopting kitteh
#4772: Jan 23rd 2012 at 8:54:46 PM

Anyway, after a not very short conversation with some players, there were issues that came to the table. In my opinion, two of them merit special attention. Then there's my comments on Buddy System / PO, but this is more important.

But first, a reminder from Tagg, who hasn't gone    Nihilistic    on us yet again:

If you have problems with how someone's R Ping lately, please bring it up to their faces, because just talking behind their backs solves nothing.

This is important because, as he said, he reminded us of it once and he was ignored.

(And while I'm gonna be bricked for this, once again, the new kid on the block is teaching us how to do it. Umbra has been open, if a bit candid, about the issues he sees and has worked out to either solve them privately or bring them forth to attention)

On Worldbuilding, who does it, who doesn't, and why

Anyway, first subject. Part of the issues that we have had amongst players, rooted partly in our creative differences, is that we worldbuild with different scopes and at different rates, if at all.

However as we've more or less segregated according to our creative differences, we should be careful to distinguish the cause from the symptom. Those of us who don't develop that deeply don't always do it simply because they don't want to. Some of us already exert a lot of effort by RPing the characters we have, for example, and even if they want more they can not go for it. We should be supporting those people. Heck I still wonder how the heck does Rex manage to hold up that many characters in a sensible manner.

This reflects in such things as the whole "the RP needs [insert mon species here]" argument for example. Yes we all want more of certain mons. Yes, there are 649 mons which means unless we get a playerbase of 100 tropers without team repeats, somemon will be out-of-focus. Even now there are mons out of focus, simply due to how some things work, be it plot or boxes. But if we really "need moar Feraligator" then why aren't we making it easier for eg.: Riptide to come around? What mons are in Tagg's focus that are not Helios and Nudi? Where are Artemis and Mira? When was the last time you remember Valkon or Muramasa interacting with other player's mons?

The answer to all those questions is, ultimately, "we write about the mons we want to". Instead of complaining about other people not showing up their chars enough and trying to force them into it, we should be making it easier for them to bring them around. Not only mons, but characters as well. Hopefully, on the other side of the road, we should also try to not shuut characters out of potential development.

Granted, worldbuilding and development are things that have to happen for the betterment of the RP, but they have to happen the right way. The same way the Pokéringer was an excuse to bring all of our flying mons — heck, we even talked about what would happen if a levitating or teleporting mon tried its way in — we should be, IMO, giving each other more opportunities.

But this also comes with a commitment from the other side: we can not hold out or cancel our worldbuilding because of people who don't want to wordbuild. When we start posting potential plots and they are shut down on the "basis" of "no, I dont't worldbuild" or "no, I don't want world threats / slice of life period", then that doesn't help us, like, at all. Nasty as it may sound, the truth is, if you are not going to actually (try to) offer an alternative, all we have left is what we have left.

Simple procedures such as keeping discussions open and actually voicing our ideas would help a lot about this.


More subjects will follow later so as to allow for gradual discussion.

Fanfic Recs orwellianretcon'd: cutlocked for committee or for Google?
Hobgoblin Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#4773: Jan 24th 2012 at 5:42:56 AM

I'm not leaving, just limiting my hours.

Umbramatic Meet The New Boss from WAAPT usually, sometimes WHABP or maybe PEFE Since: Nov, 2009 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Meet The New Boss
#4774: Jan 24th 2012 at 5:44:12 AM

On problems with people's R Ping

- Does not brick Silent- :3

On wordbuilding and species representation

On species representation: I personally try to keep a balance between popular mons (like Hydregion) and less popular ones (like Sableye) on my team, but it would help to put focus on Pokemon characters other than your "main" ones. And having obscure Pokemon is important in an RP saturated with Eeveelutions and Salamence (no offense to those who play them, you do a good job, and I'm planning on getting an important future NPC of mine a Salamence). However, it's gonna be darn near impossible to represent ALL the Pokemon.

On worldbuilding: I pretty much agree with Silent.

edited 24th Jan '12 5:46:15 AM by Umbramatic

Contact Me!
memyselfandI2 Dunsparce Cloud from The Biosphere Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Hooked on a feeling
Dunsparce Cloud
#4775: Jan 24th 2012 at 6:56:27 AM

On Species Representation

People aren't going to use the mons you like. They're going to use the mons they like. That is all.

Dunsparce didn't stop being a thing or anything.

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