**NS Roleplay Symposium 2017**
LOCATION: Symposium Hall
TOPIC: Differences and Similarities: Fifth Dimension and N&I — 9PM Eastern
TIME: 9PM - 10:30 PM Eastern Saturday, July 8th (0100 - 0230 GMT Sunday, July 9th)
Good evening and welcome to our second panel of the Symposium. I'm Swith, one of the Symposium planners. I'm your discussion moderator for this session.
We're going to discuss the differences and similarities between Fifth Dimension and N&I role play. To clear up any initial confusion: N&I are the subforums for nation-based roleplay games. Fifth Dimension, particularly Portal to the Multiverse (P2TM) are for non-nation roleplay games. You will find some nation-based forum games in Forum 7 (F7), such as "In the Above Nation" threads.
Panellists, please introduce yourselves and tell us which subforums you haunt. We'll then open up the Q&A period.
I also thank guests for their patience. We will pull your questions from the #questions_chamber. To make it easier on us, please keep chatter to the main #ns_mentors channel. Thank you.
BEGIN
::
Cer - Today at 9:01 PM
Crickets I'm Cer, one of the P2TM Mentors. I haunt mostly P2TM but I also participate in N&I (mainly the NS subforum).
Kyrusia - Today at 9:02 PM
Sorry, got distracted. I'm Kyru. Mostly haunt the N&I boards (and Moderation, because I'm so funny).
Giovenith - Today at 9:03 PM
It's a-me, Giovenith, I'm a P2TM girl.
Gren - Today at 9:03 PM
I'm Gren, I'm a P2TM resident. Barely did N&I back in the day, but never found a group, then moved to F7 (back before P2TM was a thing).
Yes, at some point, I will probably demand you to get off my lawn.
Swith - Today at 9:05 PM
Question 1 This is a general question meant to gauge how we see our counterparts - "For those in P2TM, describe N&I. For those in N&I, describe P2TM. Be respectful, please."
Welcome, Cer, Kyru, Gio, and Gren. (Moderator apologies for the lack of greeting! Was sorting initial questions)
Giovenith - Today at 9:07 PM
RP focused on the canon that players create around their NS nations. Other than that subject matter, there's not much particularly unique to it from any other RP species: you've got everything from epic sagas to crapshoot nuke storms.
Cer - Today at 9:08 PM
N&I, to me, is where all nation-related RP should take place. It doesn't always. We sometimes see it on P2TM (billed as alt history). We also see small groups come down because they feel more "at home" when they run fanT nations. I'm fond of both P2TM and the N&I forums.
Kyrusia - Today at 9:08 PM
Q1: General non-nation roleplaying. I imagine that view is tainted a bit by my experience as a Moderator. That being said, it was in the spirit of P2TM-style, freeform roleplay - as opposed to nation-based - that I got my start. So I see P2TM a lot how I saw those roleplays back then, which means it varies from player to player (and thread to thread, in this case). It holds a fondness in my heart, likely due to nostalgia, and I have had my fair share of RP ideas because of it.(edited)
Gren - Today at 9:08 PM
Its alright.
As for N&I, its full of lazy, good-for-nothing noobs who can't write chara--
In all seriousness, I do admire the quality that goes into a lot of N&I.
Like, the extensive militaries, languages, cultures, histories, geographies, its very high quality.
Kyrusia - Today at 9:11 PM
I guess a lot of my admiration for certain bits of P2TM arise due to my love of worldbuilding as well. While there is a lot of that in N&I, no doubts about it, N&Iers - simply due to the nature - don't always think on the same things. Like, as an N&Ier, I have an odd fascination with worldbuilding certain minutiae - like food, dances, and music. I think some of that is overlooked in N&I in exchage for politics and the martial interests; not to detract from those, just noting a difference.(edited)
Swith - Today at 9:12 PM
Question 2 posed by Ched - "Is it easier or harder to translate lore for a nation or character into N&I from P2TM and vice versa? What would you say is the most challenging aspect of that?" [Note: some P2TM denizens will, at times, reuse their nation canon as a backdrop for a non-nation roleplay game.]
Kyrusia - Today at 9:16 PM
Q2: Depends on the community and the exact nuances of the concept. Some things - such as a setting reminiscent of, say, a mercantile, thalassocratic republic - are easier than others to translate "up north," as we say, than others. I think they can be accomplished, regardless, but by the same token: not all interests or standards in N&I are the same as those in P2TM.
I think there is also the added difficulty in that in P2TM, while community standards do cross the whole board, scrutinty toward any particular concept is localized to the thread(s) involving it. In N&I, the concept of the nation-state - the foundation of a player's existence in the N&I community - can always be a target of scrutiny; the fact that it is so fundamentally tied to their "existence" in the "NS verse" also means players can, sometimes, be sensitive to suggestions, commentary, etc., even when no slight is intended, simply a difference in player expectations.
Giovenith - Today at 9:16 PM
P2TM, as Swith said, doesn't necessarily exclude nation canon, it just typically isn't the primary focus. Often the biggest major difference is scale: N&I will focus more on the nation itself as a macro-identity whereas national aspects in P2TM will focus more on the individuals and possibly the effect the nation has on their micro-identities. Because of this, translation will usually involve learning to let go of being "in charge" - since you're not acting as a representative of your nation, you can't have your king or president or anything walking around calling shots. You have to figure out how to view your country on a smaller scale, the everyman as it were, and not as this huge force or entity.
Cer - Today at 9:16 PM
I use my nation canon for P2TM RP, but it is non-canon in that subforum. It deviates in order to fit in with the approaches found outside of nation RP, if that makes sense. My species are more hyped, my tech wonky, and my religion ludicrous when seen in P2TM. I poke fun of myself.
Kyrusia - Today at 9:17 PM
And not to use this as a slight, but I do see N&I as more "conservative" with regards to certain things - such as lore, literary absurdism, etc. - than P2TM seems to be.
Cer - Today at 9:17 PM
It really is.
Kyrusia - Today at 9:17 PM
Just to add on to Cer's bit.
Giovenith - Today at 9:18 PM
Indeed.
Swith - Today at 9:18 PM
Question 3 Posed by Jutomi~ - "Which [subforum's roleplays] do you think generally takes more time and dedication, if either?"
Kyrusia - Today at 9:19 PM
Q3: I don't think that question has an objective answer. "Both/neither." Not that any of these do, mind you, but I don't see any one subforum of the two being highligthed here "taking more time and dedication." That's a question that is purely answered by the experience and dedication of the individual players themselves.
I think each has unique forms of dedication and focuses, but I would not say either surmounts the other.(edited)
Cer - Today at 9:21 PM
Q3 depends on the OP. P2TM has games as complex in design as nation builds. A good OP invests time and research into their game, churning out a full product. The RP in P2TM that flag and falter often do not have any interest keeping them going. This is because the OP, at times, wants players to do all the design work for him. It's a pitfall in our subforum. Players can't get away with that nonsense in N&I, especially in NS, IMHO. You need to have your world planned out better there.
Kyrusia - Today at 9:22 PM
Also, Cer and I need to drink when this is over. Clrly.
Cer - Today at 9:22 PM
Swith - Today at 9:22 PM
Question 4 posed by rhodevus "Why do you think that P2TM in particular holds the most impressive and well-thought-out RPs (on average) than the other roleplay forums?"
Giovenith - Today at 9:23 PM
Q3: Depends on the RP. Each have their own scale. If I had to say which lends itself more to dedication though, I'd say N&I because government and diplomacy is inherently tricky and heavy.
Cer - Today at 9:24 PM
Q4 I've seen equally impressive RP in N&I. No forum really holds the market on "quality". It comes down to what the players design. The effort they put in.
Kyrusia - Today at 9:24 PM
Q4: Similar to the answer above: I wouldn't say it objectively did. I think it's up to the OP (and other creators), though I can understand why that perception may exist. Namely: the likelihood that each thread in P2TM largely consists of its own, distinct world that must be created, fleshed-out, and "made to live" with respect to each game; compare this to N&I, where the "world(s)" and their worldbuilding and dedicated work are spread out, often over multiple boards.
Giovenith - Today at 9:25 PM
Q4: Both the subs have quality. What I think you're getting at though is answered by this: I think the relative freedom of P2TM allows players to not take on a "defensive" nature and thus give them more room to take risks. People don't have to risk making their nations look bad, no triggering wars or anything, and so there's less possibility of trouble or uncomfortable drawbacks. They get to do big, fun, zany things without it screwing them over as much.(edited)
Gren - Today at 9:26 PM
I agree with that.
Swith - Today at 9:26 PM
Question 5 Posed by Divergia, reframed by mod - "How does worldbuilding [conworlding] differ between the P2TM and N&I subforums, if at all? And how do you improve on your worldbuilding?"
Kyrusia - Today at 9:27 PM
RE/Q4: That is probably a fundamental difference, really. In P2TM, there does not seem to be the same "externalities" that you find in the N&I tech level communities, where it's those externalities that serve to define the limits of any concept's acceptability.(edited)
Swith - Today at 9:27 PM
@kyru "Can you expand upon what "externalities" are?"
Cer - Today at 9:30 PM
Q5 the process is the same in that both involve imagination and research. Faction, nation, or character RP all start with a concept that interests us. We build upon it from there.
Giovenith - Today at 9:30 PM
In N&I, you have more of a skeleton to work off of, I believe. Since it's inherently about nations, you're already set on the path of knowing how various countries, cultures, and governments work in order to build what you want. With P2TM, you're more handed a blank slate. While nation canon isn't excluded from P2TM, many people still opt to create a new kind of setting or people from scratch that isn't connected to national identity: superhero and magic schools are a big one.
Kyrusia - Today at 9:31 PM
Q5: As a personal observation, I think there is a lot of overlap in the worldbuilding in FT and P2TM; namely: the idea that a "nation" is equitable to a "setting" or "stage." In MT, PMT, etc., however, while it may also be a setting, it is also heavily canted toward a "may be seen in reality" functional whole. While consistency and "feasibility" is no doubt a tenet in P2TM as well, I think this harkens back to what Gio said about risk.
RE/Externalities: Depending upon the (sub-)community, they will depend. But pretty much regardless of where you are in N&I - be it a closed roleplaying group/closed world region or a broad community (such as the 'NS Earth' of MT or the 'Galaxy' of FT) - the concept is always being measured and weighed by outside parties. In some cases, this is simple, and is just a matter of ensuring canonicity and lore-flow - such as in a closed world region; in others, these externalities are based on standards unique to that tech level or (sub-)community born of experience as a means to help avoid certain pitfalls or poor player behaviors.
An example of an MT externality would be the "5% in the military" bit (though, last I checked, <1% is even more common now). In P2TM, I do not see the same sort of pressures - at least not in this style.(edited)
Swith - Today at 9:32 PM
Thanks for clarifying, Kyru.
Quetion 6 Posed by Temp - "As a P2TM RPer only, I have to try and ask those from N&I why they enjoy acting out the politics of a nation (I know I couldn't do it, that's why I shy away from that forum). Also any tips on RPing for an entire nation, as I tend to get overwhelmed thinking about that many people under my control?"
Kyrusia - Today at 9:35 PM
Q6: TBH? Don't.
Remember that, fundamentally, a nation is composed of individuals - of individual characters. While trends in behavior and culture may cover an entire society, they are almost never actually monolithic. Even a Head of State/Head of Government will not universally act as an absolute persona for the entity/entities they represent; they will have their own biases, beliefs, etc. - some which may buff the trend in the populace, or conform to it.
In other words: treat the nation as a container for multiple plotlines, with certain generalities of those plotlines expressing themselves on a national (macro) level.(edited)
Cer - Today at 9:36 PM
A world: the setting, the backstory/history, the politics, the religion (or lack of it), the culture. Tolkien's Middle Earth can easily be a NS nation. It can easily be a P2TM setting. It's how you present it, and what you do with it that matters. Don't think of "nation RP". Think of "my nation as the RP setting". It is your ultimate OP project filled with your ideas, your NPC, and your take on things.
Kyrusia - Today at 9:37 PM
^ This, more or less.
Gren - Today at 9:37 PM
^
Swith - Today at 9:37 PM
Question 7 Posed by Lord Dominator - "Is there any good advice one has for writing in P2TM?"
Cer - Today at 9:38 PM
Spellcheck is our friend. :smile:
Kyrusia - Today at 9:38 PM
RE/Q6: The mistake, in other words, is in thinking "nation RP" is somehow uniquely "special" when it isn't, at least in this respect.
Gren - Today at 9:38 PM
Practice, practice, practice. And lots of sleepless nights. And drinking.
Kyrusia - Today at 9:38 PM
I'll leave this question to the P2TMers, obv. :stuck_out_tongue:
Gren - Today at 9:38 PM
If all else fails, make your own RP. With blackjack. And hookers.
Just don't cross the PG13 line.
Giovenith - Today at 9:39 PM
Q7:
1) Practice makes perfect
2) If you think you're a badass, you're not
3) RP is an interactive process; if you want people to be interested in you, you have to show interest in others
Gren - Today at 9:41 PM
On a serious note, practice. I like to think I've improved a lot as an RPer since when I seriously started it, and that's because the RP I'm in (well, one of them) is long-running.
Cer - Today at 9:41 PM
There are two types of roleplay in P2TM: storytelling and mechanics. Mechanics games are more akin to pencil&paper. We sometimes use dice. We play in rounds. We move pieces on a stage. Storytelling is also mechanics (character apps, for example).
People sometimes get confused when they first come to P2TM. "Do I need to be a good writer?!" No. These skills are learned. "Do I need a dice-roller?" No. Few people use them.
The key to writing for either N&I or P2TM: write what you know, write what you love.
Kyrusia - Today at 9:41 PM
RE/ gren : I'd say "practice" does go for both P2TM and N&I. It really does all go back to, "You get out what you put in."
Swith - Today at 9:42 PM
Question 8 Posed by utomi~ "Has RP ever crossed over between P2TM and N&I?"
Cer - Today at 9:43 PM
cough PL cough
Giovenith - Today at 9:43 PM
Yes. :stuck_out_tongue: With mixed results.
Kyrusia - Today at 9:43 PM
Q8: I know there was some crossover with MSU, was there not, Swith ?
Swith - Today at 9:44 PM
The nation races had already existed in N&I and P2TM before MSU.
Gren - Today at 9:44 PM
I mean, I haven't seen any explicit P2TM/N&I crossover, but I was once involved in a P2TM/NSG RP.
That was basically a GoT ripoff, in the same vein as the NSG Senate.(edited)
Cer - Today at 9:45 PM
Swith and I (and others like Min, Agy etc) use our worldbuilds in more than one forum. We keep things separated, of course. Canon created in P2TM usually doesn't trickle back to N&I. However, if we decide to branch out and do a nation RP with our existing P2TM characters, we'll drop a thread in NS for that purpose.
Giovenith - Today at 9:47 PM
You know how in superhero and magical shows and stuff, the main character lives their crazy life and all that comes with it, but if you zoom out from him the rest of the world at large is unaware of the supernatural activities he deals with?
That's how my stuff works. The nation stuff is the wider, normal world, and the P2TM stuff is the small supernatural bits that exist but don't really have a large effect on the environment from a practical stand-point. :stuck_out_tongue:
Swith - Today at 9:48 PM
Question 9 posed by Temp - "If the P2TM mentors and NS/II mentors were to get into a fistfight, who would come out on top? And who would buy the drinks afterwards?"
Kyrusia - Today at 9:48 PM
.
Cer - Today at 9:48 PM
Kyru buys the drinks, always.
Giovenith - Today at 9:48 PM
Well, Cer knows martial arts
Kyrusia - Today at 9:48 PM
You mean, "Y'all steal my drinks, always, and I otherwise have no say in the matter." Lamoni built an entire island resort by raiding my budget. Obv.
Gren - Today at 9:48 PM
And Zark has stealth technology.
Cer - Today at 9:48 PM
Boxing. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:
Giovenith - Today at 9:49 PM
That's a form. :stuck_out_tongue:
FRFS - Today at 9:49 PM
Obv what ever side has me, since I can't die.
Swith - Today at 9:49 PM
Followup to 9 "You guys hang out with each other? Like socialize?"
Kyrusia - Today at 9:50 PM
Not to mention: I'm constrained by supernal laws regarding the purchase, sale, and trafficking of souls. Mentors just sort of pull them out one roleplaying addict at a time.
Giovenith - Today at 9:50 PM
On Discord, mostly. Most of us live far away, though a few of us know each other IRL.
Swith - Today at 9:50 PM
(I'd RP with my N&I counterparts. They're awesome peeps.)
Kyrusia - Today at 9:50 PM
What Gio said. Some of us have more interests overlapping than others. Or you're me. In which case you're everywhere by default.
Cer - Today at 9:51 PM
That and Kyru pays us to hang out with him.
:smile:
Gren - Today at 9:51 PM
I would like to see the results of a mentor meetup.
Giovenith - Today at 9:51 PM
We'd do it for free though because we feel sorry for him
Swith - Today at 9:51 PM
Gren, mutated babies.
Kyrusia - Today at 9:51 PM
That's why I let y'all raid my liquor cabinet, obv.
Gren - Today at 9:52 PM
Is that how I was conceived, Swith? :stuck_out_tongue:
Kyrusia - Today at 9:52 PM
Instead of just going more NS Bastard Mod and PURGING YOU ALL. evil_cackling.mp3
(I kid, of course.)
Swith - Today at 9:52 PM
Question 10 Posed via PM "Do I need to make a puppet nation to RP in P2TM if I don't want to use my nation's canon there?"
Gren - Today at 9:52 PM
No. Not at all.
You can absolutely stick with one nation, just keep the P2TM canon separate from the N&I canon.
Cer - Today at 9:53 PM
Most of us are too lazy to make an account unique to P2TM.
Gren - Today at 9:53 PM
You can even have multiple canons in the same forum.
Giovenith - Today at 9:53 PM
Of course not, no more than you need a different account to post on General.
Gren - Today at 9:54 PM
I'm too lazy to log in to my puppets, except on Z-day.
Swith - Today at 9:54 PM
Question 11 Posed by Lord Dominator - "How would you say culture differs between the two boards?
And what is the general culture like for each of them?"
Giovenith - Today at 9:55 PM
Culture is less specific to boards and more specific to threads and groups of players, I feel.
FRFS - Today at 9:55 PM
RE:10 : The answers given on this question also highlight a key difference between P2TM and II
Gren - Today at 9:56 PM
From what I remember from the fog of the days I did N&I, there wasn't much open interaction with your fellow RPers. Sure, there'd be people with reputations for certain IC things, but to my knowledge, there wasn't much in the way of OOC banter. P2TM is quite the opposite.
Kyrusia - Today at 9:57 PM
Q11: I am hesitant to say that N&I has a more "combative" culture, because I don't think it actually does, but I do think N&I - on average - has more "pressure" from others for reasons I've expounded upon above (see: externalities). There is also a degree of competiveness - friendly and otherwise - that P2TM seems to at least lack in the same volume that N&I has; that can be both good and bad.
Cer - Today at 9:57 PM
Our culture is a bit different than what's found in N&I. This is because we had to prove our worth in order to have (and keep) our subforum. As a community, we are a bit more grumpy when we see RP spring up that could reflect poorly upon us. It isn't that we "hate noobs". Rather, it's that we still have old fears firmly planted in our minds. "You are spamming this board with crap. You can all go back to F7".
2012 was a tough year.
Gren - Today at 9:57 PM
Also, you guys have no idea how hard it was to refrain from making the obvious jab at NSG.
Kyrusia - Today at 9:58 PM
Of course, and this is more of a Modly answer, I know people can get... testy, regardless of boards. :wink:
Cer - Today at 9:59 PM
Those unfamiliar with our struggle to have our own forum sometimes misinterpreted our zeal as "Oh, snobs!" or "Elites!" This isn't the case. In fact, it was the hard efforts put in by N&I and F7 players that allowed us to blossom as a community.
Gren - Today at 9:59 PM
^
Gren - Today at 10:00 PM
I remember very well the days before P2TM.
Cer - Today at 10:00 PM
They were hell.
Swith - Today at 10:00 PM
Alright, Followup Question: How did P2TM come into being?
Gren - Today at 10:00 PM
Well, I was more on the silly F7 side of things, but I always had respect for the serious stuff.
Kyrusia - Today at 10:01 PM
We :heart: your silliness, Gren. :stuck_out_tongue:
Gren - Today at 10:01 PM
Muchas gracias, Kyru. :heart:
Cer - Today at 10:02 PM
Max lifted his hind leg and pissed out F7. The swill swirled until we could take our constraints no longer. Khan and other old hands approached Admin. Long story short, they created the subforum but made it clear it didn't serve a purpose therefore could be taken away if we didn't behave as we promised to.
Giovenith - Today at 10:02 PM
The powers that be realize that there were RPs that were serious business but weren't directly related to nations. They weren't fit for F7 because they weren't spammy. They didn't fit for N&I because they involved original concepts. Thus, P2TM was born.
Cer - Today at 10:02 PM
*didn't serve a nation RP purpose
Gren - Today at 10:02 PM
As for the followup, from what I remember, most of the outcry was because of F7's autoprune. As anyone who RPs knows, its hard to keep track of your canon when it keeps getting deleted every few days.
Swith - Today at 10:03 PM
[Autoprune deletes threads after a certain amount of time passes without activity -- unless they are archived]
Kyrusia - Today at 10:03 PM
(7 days, as I recall off the top of my head, for the record.)
Swith - Today at 10:04 PM
Question er... 12 posed by Ched - "For N&I, should you make a puppet for each nation you make for it? Or can you have a puppet that blankets your activities in N&I?"
Gren - Today at 10:05 PM
I've seen some people's signatures state different nation names and government forms for various settings they RP in. I always thought that was kind of elegant.
Giovenith - Today at 10:05 PM
I guess whatever you want, but I think it'd be easier for your fellow players to use an account that reflects the canon you're using. Unless, say, two of your canons are interacting with each other, like enemy factions - that's best left to one account.
Kyrusia - Today at 10:06 PM
Q12: Do you have to? No. Would I personally? Yes. This is more of a stylistic choice than anything else, however; I just dislike sigs filled with, "Also I'm [State|MT], [State|FT], and [State|PMT]."(edited)
Gren - Today at 10:06 PM
You left out PT and FanT, Kyru.
:stuck_out_tongue:
Kyrusia - Today at 10:07 PM
impotent_rage.gif
Maltropia - Today at 10:07 PM
There are arguments for and against. Personally, I'd make a puppet for each canon - though if two nations are closely affiliated (e.g. overlord and client state) I might post for both from the one account.
The main argument for multiple puppets is for keeping things separate: I've posted as an 'NPC' nation on one of my puppets, and then had people say "hey, why is Trellin blowing up oil rigs?" That's the crazy NPC's environmentalists, not Trellin, but since Trellin posted it they think it's Trellin.
Swith - Today at 10:08 PM
I'd weigh in but I'm a moderator. :stuck_out_tongue: Ched, there are ways to set things up to keep continuity while portraying unique canon for your nation. If it's for what I think it is, we can get the FT peeps to help sort.
Question 13 Posed via PM. "Would anyone here ever consider doing a character-based, nation-based character story RP in P2TM?" [In other words, "would any N&I Mentors and P2TM Mentors want to do a joint RP for grins?", if I understand the question correctly.]
FRFS - Today at 10:12 PM
Q12: I'd make your own nation for every puppet. It really finalizes it, makes it real and permanent fixture.
Giovenith - Today at 10:12 PM
Depends on how it's set-up. I've seen interesting RPs in the past where the premise is sending a child from your nation to an international boarding school.(edited)
Gren - Today at 10:12 PM
I think they have a few of those in P2TM right now. Its not my cup of tea. I don't think I'm capable of juggling writing a good character and writing a good nation.
Kyrusia - Today at 10:13 PM
Q13: Strictly speaking, if it involves an NS-nation, it'd be best posted in N&I.
But yes, it'd depend. And like Gio said, those threads are interesting; they use to be fairly common fare on the NS board. I think Havensky is actually running a similar style of thread - or at least in the spirit thereof.
Swith - Today at 10:14 PM
Question 14 Posed earlier and paraphrased here - "What are you most proud of in your community, or what about your community makes you feel proud to be a part of it?"
Kyrusia - Today at 10:15 PM
Q14: The involvement of the community in the betterment of itself, to include aspects of self-policing. I would say "worldbuilding, roleplaying, and storytelling," but I think that goes without saying.(edited)
Gren - Today at 10:15 PM
In the wider RP community, or on P2TM, or in the RPs I'm in?
Giovenith - Today at 10:15 PM
The fact that we can be simultaneously open-natured and committed to quality. You usually only get one or the other in a lot of places.
Cer - Today at 10:16 PM
I haven't killed anyone yet.
Seriously, now, I'm proud of our efforts, and proud of our noobs for trying out new things. P2TM is a welcoming place. We don't have too many cliques, for the most part, and we seem to treat each other with kindness most of the time.
Swith - Today at 10:16 PM
Gren, I'm taking it to mean our main subforum haunt.
Clarification: yes, our main subforum haunt.
Gren - Today at 10:17 PM
Ah. I'm most proud, like Gio, of the fact that its so open, and yet, so filled with quality. There's literally something for everyone,.
Swith - Today at 10:19 PM
Final Question Posed by Rhodevus - "When you have RPing questions, who is your go-to mentor?"
Giovenith - Today at 10:19 PM
ME.
Kyrusia - Today at 10:19 PM
Depends on the topic of the question at hand.
Gren - Today at 10:20 PM
^^
Swith - Today at 10:20 PM
If that was posed to me personally, I go to Cer for a lot of stuff. I go to Kyru. And Lamoni. I'll go to non-Mentors as well, or to someone involved in NS Sports for sporting questions.
Giovenith - Today at 10:20 PM
But yeah, depends on the issue. Certain mentors are better at certain things.
Gren - Today at 10:20 PM
Usually, I either ask it here, or in the Madhouse server.
Or, just flat out ask the OP for a clarification.
Cer - Today at 10:21 PM
I just shake Swith like a magical 8-ball and wait for the answers to float to the top of her eyes.
Really it does depend on what I want to know and who I feel comfortable working with. Don't need a jacket to mentor, and our communities have a lot of people mentoring each other.
Kyrusia - Today at 10:21 PM
Each of our Mentors have their own focuses - things they specialize in and excell at - but pretty much all of us can tackle the general things about our respective section of the Program, and often more. In a lot of ways, it's who I see on at any given time if it's general enough. But even there, as Swith points out, there are a lot of players who are not Mentors that have their own expertise many of us likely feel is pertinent when it comes to certain things.
Gren - Today at 10:23 PM
I've had one or two people ask me about how to better portray trans characters, for instance.
Cer - Today at 10:25 PM
It's a community effort. If not, it should be.
Giovenith - Today at 10:25 PM
Ja, ja. It's friendship!
Gren - Today at 10:26 PM
And as we all know, friendship is voodoo.
Tilt - Today at 10:26 PM
Pierogis.
I think the only question I've ever had is how to portray a religious character. The RP ended up falling through so I didn't get to ask.
Didn't need, rather.
Swith - Today at 10:27 PM
NS Roleplay Symposium 2017
TOPIC: Differences and Similarities between N&I and 5D
TIME: COMPLETED
Thank you all for participating in today's panel! We look forward to seeing you back soon. Please join us in the #ns_mentors channel for chat and typical silliness!
Tomorrow's Symposium offerings: Sunday, July 9th, 2017
Introduction to Roleplaying (Broad Panel, Early Hour) — 11AM Eastern
Introduction to Roleplaying (Broad Panel, Late Hour) — 8PM Eastern
Diversity in the Roleplaying Community — 9PM Eastern
Kyrusia - Today at 10:29 PM
I'd like to take a moment to thank Swith for her dedication to coordinating the Symposium, keeping the OSF from turning into a giant cluster of tech-pain, and for moderating our panels this evening.
[You're welcome, Kyru. Thanks for placing your faith in me to get my part done for our Team!]
LOCATION: Symposium Hall
TOPIC: Differences and Similarities: Fifth Dimension and N&I — 9PM Eastern
TIME: 9PM - 10:30 PM Eastern Saturday, July 8th (0100 - 0230 GMT Sunday, July 9th)
Good evening and welcome to our second panel of the Symposium. I'm Swith, one of the Symposium planners. I'm your discussion moderator for this session.
We're going to discuss the differences and similarities between Fifth Dimension and N&I role play. To clear up any initial confusion: N&I are the subforums for nation-based roleplay games. Fifth Dimension, particularly Portal to the Multiverse (P2TM) are for non-nation roleplay games. You will find some nation-based forum games in Forum 7 (F7), such as "In the Above Nation" threads.
Panellists, please introduce yourselves and tell us which subforums you haunt. We'll then open up the Q&A period.
I also thank guests for their patience. We will pull your questions from the #questions_chamber. To make it easier on us, please keep chatter to the main #ns_mentors channel. Thank you.
BEGIN
::
Cer - Today at 9:01 PM
Crickets I'm Cer, one of the P2TM Mentors. I haunt mostly P2TM but I also participate in N&I (mainly the NS subforum).
Kyrusia - Today at 9:02 PM
Sorry, got distracted. I'm Kyru. Mostly haunt the N&I boards (and Moderation, because I'm so funny).
Giovenith - Today at 9:03 PM
It's a-me, Giovenith, I'm a P2TM girl.
Gren - Today at 9:03 PM
I'm Gren, I'm a P2TM resident. Barely did N&I back in the day, but never found a group, then moved to F7 (back before P2TM was a thing).
Yes, at some point, I will probably demand you to get off my lawn.
Swith - Today at 9:05 PM
Question 1 This is a general question meant to gauge how we see our counterparts - "For those in P2TM, describe N&I. For those in N&I, describe P2TM. Be respectful, please."
Welcome, Cer, Kyru, Gio, and Gren. (Moderator apologies for the lack of greeting! Was sorting initial questions)
Giovenith - Today at 9:07 PM
RP focused on the canon that players create around their NS nations. Other than that subject matter, there's not much particularly unique to it from any other RP species: you've got everything from epic sagas to crapshoot nuke storms.
Cer - Today at 9:08 PM
N&I, to me, is where all nation-related RP should take place. It doesn't always. We sometimes see it on P2TM (billed as alt history). We also see small groups come down because they feel more "at home" when they run fanT nations. I'm fond of both P2TM and the N&I forums.
Kyrusia - Today at 9:08 PM
Q1: General non-nation roleplaying. I imagine that view is tainted a bit by my experience as a Moderator. That being said, it was in the spirit of P2TM-style, freeform roleplay - as opposed to nation-based - that I got my start. So I see P2TM a lot how I saw those roleplays back then, which means it varies from player to player (and thread to thread, in this case). It holds a fondness in my heart, likely due to nostalgia, and I have had my fair share of RP ideas because of it.(edited)
Gren - Today at 9:08 PM
Its alright.
As for N&I, its full of lazy, good-for-nothing noobs who can't write chara--
In all seriousness, I do admire the quality that goes into a lot of N&I.
Like, the extensive militaries, languages, cultures, histories, geographies, its very high quality.
Kyrusia - Today at 9:11 PM
I guess a lot of my admiration for certain bits of P2TM arise due to my love of worldbuilding as well. While there is a lot of that in N&I, no doubts about it, N&Iers - simply due to the nature - don't always think on the same things. Like, as an N&Ier, I have an odd fascination with worldbuilding certain minutiae - like food, dances, and music. I think some of that is overlooked in N&I in exchage for politics and the martial interests; not to detract from those, just noting a difference.(edited)
Swith - Today at 9:12 PM
Question 2 posed by Ched - "Is it easier or harder to translate lore for a nation or character into N&I from P2TM and vice versa? What would you say is the most challenging aspect of that?" [Note: some P2TM denizens will, at times, reuse their nation canon as a backdrop for a non-nation roleplay game.]
Kyrusia - Today at 9:16 PM
Q2: Depends on the community and the exact nuances of the concept. Some things - such as a setting reminiscent of, say, a mercantile, thalassocratic republic - are easier than others to translate "up north," as we say, than others. I think they can be accomplished, regardless, but by the same token: not all interests or standards in N&I are the same as those in P2TM.
I think there is also the added difficulty in that in P2TM, while community standards do cross the whole board, scrutinty toward any particular concept is localized to the thread(s) involving it. In N&I, the concept of the nation-state - the foundation of a player's existence in the N&I community - can always be a target of scrutiny; the fact that it is so fundamentally tied to their "existence" in the "NS verse" also means players can, sometimes, be sensitive to suggestions, commentary, etc., even when no slight is intended, simply a difference in player expectations.
Giovenith - Today at 9:16 PM
P2TM, as Swith said, doesn't necessarily exclude nation canon, it just typically isn't the primary focus. Often the biggest major difference is scale: N&I will focus more on the nation itself as a macro-identity whereas national aspects in P2TM will focus more on the individuals and possibly the effect the nation has on their micro-identities. Because of this, translation will usually involve learning to let go of being "in charge" - since you're not acting as a representative of your nation, you can't have your king or president or anything walking around calling shots. You have to figure out how to view your country on a smaller scale, the everyman as it were, and not as this huge force or entity.
Cer - Today at 9:16 PM
I use my nation canon for P2TM RP, but it is non-canon in that subforum. It deviates in order to fit in with the approaches found outside of nation RP, if that makes sense. My species are more hyped, my tech wonky, and my religion ludicrous when seen in P2TM. I poke fun of myself.
Kyrusia - Today at 9:17 PM
And not to use this as a slight, but I do see N&I as more "conservative" with regards to certain things - such as lore, literary absurdism, etc. - than P2TM seems to be.
Cer - Today at 9:17 PM
It really is.
Kyrusia - Today at 9:17 PM
Just to add on to Cer's bit.
Giovenith - Today at 9:18 PM
Indeed.
Swith - Today at 9:18 PM
Question 3 Posed by Jutomi~ - "Which [subforum's roleplays] do you think generally takes more time and dedication, if either?"
Kyrusia - Today at 9:19 PM
Q3: I don't think that question has an objective answer. "Both/neither." Not that any of these do, mind you, but I don't see any one subforum of the two being highligthed here "taking more time and dedication." That's a question that is purely answered by the experience and dedication of the individual players themselves.
I think each has unique forms of dedication and focuses, but I would not say either surmounts the other.(edited)
Cer - Today at 9:21 PM
Q3 depends on the OP. P2TM has games as complex in design as nation builds. A good OP invests time and research into their game, churning out a full product. The RP in P2TM that flag and falter often do not have any interest keeping them going. This is because the OP, at times, wants players to do all the design work for him. It's a pitfall in our subforum. Players can't get away with that nonsense in N&I, especially in NS, IMHO. You need to have your world planned out better there.
Kyrusia - Today at 9:22 PM
Also, Cer and I need to drink when this is over. Clrly.
Cer - Today at 9:22 PM
Swith - Today at 9:22 PM
Question 4 posed by rhodevus "Why do you think that P2TM in particular holds the most impressive and well-thought-out RPs (on average) than the other roleplay forums?"
Giovenith - Today at 9:23 PM
Q3: Depends on the RP. Each have their own scale. If I had to say which lends itself more to dedication though, I'd say N&I because government and diplomacy is inherently tricky and heavy.
Cer - Today at 9:24 PM
Q4 I've seen equally impressive RP in N&I. No forum really holds the market on "quality". It comes down to what the players design. The effort they put in.
Kyrusia - Today at 9:24 PM
Q4: Similar to the answer above: I wouldn't say it objectively did. I think it's up to the OP (and other creators), though I can understand why that perception may exist. Namely: the likelihood that each thread in P2TM largely consists of its own, distinct world that must be created, fleshed-out, and "made to live" with respect to each game; compare this to N&I, where the "world(s)" and their worldbuilding and dedicated work are spread out, often over multiple boards.
Giovenith - Today at 9:25 PM
Q4: Both the subs have quality. What I think you're getting at though is answered by this: I think the relative freedom of P2TM allows players to not take on a "defensive" nature and thus give them more room to take risks. People don't have to risk making their nations look bad, no triggering wars or anything, and so there's less possibility of trouble or uncomfortable drawbacks. They get to do big, fun, zany things without it screwing them over as much.(edited)
Gren - Today at 9:26 PM
I agree with that.
Swith - Today at 9:26 PM
Question 5 Posed by Divergia, reframed by mod - "How does worldbuilding [conworlding] differ between the P2TM and N&I subforums, if at all? And how do you improve on your worldbuilding?"
Kyrusia - Today at 9:27 PM
RE/Q4: That is probably a fundamental difference, really. In P2TM, there does not seem to be the same "externalities" that you find in the N&I tech level communities, where it's those externalities that serve to define the limits of any concept's acceptability.(edited)
Swith - Today at 9:27 PM
@kyru "Can you expand upon what "externalities" are?"
Cer - Today at 9:30 PM
Q5 the process is the same in that both involve imagination and research. Faction, nation, or character RP all start with a concept that interests us. We build upon it from there.
Giovenith - Today at 9:30 PM
In N&I, you have more of a skeleton to work off of, I believe. Since it's inherently about nations, you're already set on the path of knowing how various countries, cultures, and governments work in order to build what you want. With P2TM, you're more handed a blank slate. While nation canon isn't excluded from P2TM, many people still opt to create a new kind of setting or people from scratch that isn't connected to national identity: superhero and magic schools are a big one.
Kyrusia - Today at 9:31 PM
Q5: As a personal observation, I think there is a lot of overlap in the worldbuilding in FT and P2TM; namely: the idea that a "nation" is equitable to a "setting" or "stage." In MT, PMT, etc., however, while it may also be a setting, it is also heavily canted toward a "may be seen in reality" functional whole. While consistency and "feasibility" is no doubt a tenet in P2TM as well, I think this harkens back to what Gio said about risk.
RE/Externalities: Depending upon the (sub-)community, they will depend. But pretty much regardless of where you are in N&I - be it a closed roleplaying group/closed world region or a broad community (such as the 'NS Earth' of MT or the 'Galaxy' of FT) - the concept is always being measured and weighed by outside parties. In some cases, this is simple, and is just a matter of ensuring canonicity and lore-flow - such as in a closed world region; in others, these externalities are based on standards unique to that tech level or (sub-)community born of experience as a means to help avoid certain pitfalls or poor player behaviors.
An example of an MT externality would be the "5% in the military" bit (though, last I checked, <1% is even more common now). In P2TM, I do not see the same sort of pressures - at least not in this style.(edited)
Swith - Today at 9:32 PM
Thanks for clarifying, Kyru.
Quetion 6 Posed by Temp - "As a P2TM RPer only, I have to try and ask those from N&I why they enjoy acting out the politics of a nation (I know I couldn't do it, that's why I shy away from that forum). Also any tips on RPing for an entire nation, as I tend to get overwhelmed thinking about that many people under my control?"
Kyrusia - Today at 9:35 PM
Q6: TBH? Don't.
Remember that, fundamentally, a nation is composed of individuals - of individual characters. While trends in behavior and culture may cover an entire society, they are almost never actually monolithic. Even a Head of State/Head of Government will not universally act as an absolute persona for the entity/entities they represent; they will have their own biases, beliefs, etc. - some which may buff the trend in the populace, or conform to it.
In other words: treat the nation as a container for multiple plotlines, with certain generalities of those plotlines expressing themselves on a national (macro) level.(edited)
Cer - Today at 9:36 PM
A world: the setting, the backstory/history, the politics, the religion (or lack of it), the culture. Tolkien's Middle Earth can easily be a NS nation. It can easily be a P2TM setting. It's how you present it, and what you do with it that matters. Don't think of "nation RP". Think of "my nation as the RP setting". It is your ultimate OP project filled with your ideas, your NPC, and your take on things.
Kyrusia - Today at 9:37 PM
^ This, more or less.
Gren - Today at 9:37 PM
^
Swith - Today at 9:37 PM
Question 7 Posed by Lord Dominator - "Is there any good advice one has for writing in P2TM?"
Cer - Today at 9:38 PM
Spellcheck is our friend. :smile:
Kyrusia - Today at 9:38 PM
RE/Q6: The mistake, in other words, is in thinking "nation RP" is somehow uniquely "special" when it isn't, at least in this respect.
Gren - Today at 9:38 PM
Practice, practice, practice. And lots of sleepless nights. And drinking.
Kyrusia - Today at 9:38 PM
I'll leave this question to the P2TMers, obv. :stuck_out_tongue:
Gren - Today at 9:38 PM
If all else fails, make your own RP. With blackjack. And hookers.
Just don't cross the PG13 line.
Giovenith - Today at 9:39 PM
Q7:
1) Practice makes perfect
2) If you think you're a badass, you're not
3) RP is an interactive process; if you want people to be interested in you, you have to show interest in others
Gren - Today at 9:41 PM
On a serious note, practice. I like to think I've improved a lot as an RPer since when I seriously started it, and that's because the RP I'm in (well, one of them) is long-running.
Cer - Today at 9:41 PM
There are two types of roleplay in P2TM: storytelling and mechanics. Mechanics games are more akin to pencil&paper. We sometimes use dice. We play in rounds. We move pieces on a stage. Storytelling is also mechanics (character apps, for example).
People sometimes get confused when they first come to P2TM. "Do I need to be a good writer?!" No. These skills are learned. "Do I need a dice-roller?" No. Few people use them.
The key to writing for either N&I or P2TM: write what you know, write what you love.
Kyrusia - Today at 9:41 PM
RE/ gren : I'd say "practice" does go for both P2TM and N&I. It really does all go back to, "You get out what you put in."
Swith - Today at 9:42 PM
Question 8 Posed by utomi~ "Has RP ever crossed over between P2TM and N&I?"
Cer - Today at 9:43 PM
cough PL cough
Giovenith - Today at 9:43 PM
Yes. :stuck_out_tongue: With mixed results.
Kyrusia - Today at 9:43 PM
Q8: I know there was some crossover with MSU, was there not, Swith ?
Swith - Today at 9:44 PM
The nation races had already existed in N&I and P2TM before MSU.
Gren - Today at 9:44 PM
I mean, I haven't seen any explicit P2TM/N&I crossover, but I was once involved in a P2TM/NSG RP.
That was basically a GoT ripoff, in the same vein as the NSG Senate.(edited)
Cer - Today at 9:45 PM
Swith and I (and others like Min, Agy etc) use our worldbuilds in more than one forum. We keep things separated, of course. Canon created in P2TM usually doesn't trickle back to N&I. However, if we decide to branch out and do a nation RP with our existing P2TM characters, we'll drop a thread in NS for that purpose.
Giovenith - Today at 9:47 PM
You know how in superhero and magical shows and stuff, the main character lives their crazy life and all that comes with it, but if you zoom out from him the rest of the world at large is unaware of the supernatural activities he deals with?
That's how my stuff works. The nation stuff is the wider, normal world, and the P2TM stuff is the small supernatural bits that exist but don't really have a large effect on the environment from a practical stand-point. :stuck_out_tongue:
Swith - Today at 9:48 PM
Question 9 posed by Temp - "If the P2TM mentors and NS/II mentors were to get into a fistfight, who would come out on top? And who would buy the drinks afterwards?"
Kyrusia - Today at 9:48 PM
.
Cer - Today at 9:48 PM
Kyru buys the drinks, always.
Giovenith - Today at 9:48 PM
Well, Cer knows martial arts
Kyrusia - Today at 9:48 PM
You mean, "Y'all steal my drinks, always, and I otherwise have no say in the matter." Lamoni built an entire island resort by raiding my budget. Obv.
Gren - Today at 9:48 PM
And Zark has stealth technology.
Cer - Today at 9:48 PM
Boxing. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:
Giovenith - Today at 9:49 PM
That's a form. :stuck_out_tongue:
FRFS - Today at 9:49 PM
Obv what ever side has me, since I can't die.
Swith - Today at 9:49 PM
Followup to 9 "You guys hang out with each other? Like socialize?"
Kyrusia - Today at 9:50 PM
Not to mention: I'm constrained by supernal laws regarding the purchase, sale, and trafficking of souls. Mentors just sort of pull them out one roleplaying addict at a time.
Giovenith - Today at 9:50 PM
On Discord, mostly. Most of us live far away, though a few of us know each other IRL.
Swith - Today at 9:50 PM
(I'd RP with my N&I counterparts. They're awesome peeps.)
Kyrusia - Today at 9:50 PM
What Gio said. Some of us have more interests overlapping than others. Or you're me. In which case you're everywhere by default.
Cer - Today at 9:51 PM
That and Kyru pays us to hang out with him.
:smile:
Gren - Today at 9:51 PM
I would like to see the results of a mentor meetup.
Giovenith - Today at 9:51 PM
We'd do it for free though because we feel sorry for him
Swith - Today at 9:51 PM
Gren, mutated babies.
Kyrusia - Today at 9:51 PM
That's why I let y'all raid my liquor cabinet, obv.
Gren - Today at 9:52 PM
Is that how I was conceived, Swith? :stuck_out_tongue:
Kyrusia - Today at 9:52 PM
Instead of just going more NS Bastard Mod and PURGING YOU ALL. evil_cackling.mp3
(I kid, of course.)
Swith - Today at 9:52 PM
Question 10 Posed via PM "Do I need to make a puppet nation to RP in P2TM if I don't want to use my nation's canon there?"
Gren - Today at 9:52 PM
No. Not at all.
You can absolutely stick with one nation, just keep the P2TM canon separate from the N&I canon.
Cer - Today at 9:53 PM
Most of us are too lazy to make an account unique to P2TM.
Gren - Today at 9:53 PM
You can even have multiple canons in the same forum.
Giovenith - Today at 9:53 PM
Of course not, no more than you need a different account to post on General.
Gren - Today at 9:54 PM
I'm too lazy to log in to my puppets, except on Z-day.
Swith - Today at 9:54 PM
Question 11 Posed by Lord Dominator - "How would you say culture differs between the two boards?
And what is the general culture like for each of them?"
Giovenith - Today at 9:55 PM
Culture is less specific to boards and more specific to threads and groups of players, I feel.
FRFS - Today at 9:55 PM
RE:10 : The answers given on this question also highlight a key difference between P2TM and II
Gren - Today at 9:56 PM
From what I remember from the fog of the days I did N&I, there wasn't much open interaction with your fellow RPers. Sure, there'd be people with reputations for certain IC things, but to my knowledge, there wasn't much in the way of OOC banter. P2TM is quite the opposite.
Kyrusia - Today at 9:57 PM
Q11: I am hesitant to say that N&I has a more "combative" culture, because I don't think it actually does, but I do think N&I - on average - has more "pressure" from others for reasons I've expounded upon above (see: externalities). There is also a degree of competiveness - friendly and otherwise - that P2TM seems to at least lack in the same volume that N&I has; that can be both good and bad.
Cer - Today at 9:57 PM
Our culture is a bit different than what's found in N&I. This is because we had to prove our worth in order to have (and keep) our subforum. As a community, we are a bit more grumpy when we see RP spring up that could reflect poorly upon us. It isn't that we "hate noobs". Rather, it's that we still have old fears firmly planted in our minds. "You are spamming this board with crap. You can all go back to F7".
2012 was a tough year.
Gren - Today at 9:57 PM
Also, you guys have no idea how hard it was to refrain from making the obvious jab at NSG.
Kyrusia - Today at 9:58 PM
Of course, and this is more of a Modly answer, I know people can get... testy, regardless of boards. :wink:
Cer - Today at 9:59 PM
Those unfamiliar with our struggle to have our own forum sometimes misinterpreted our zeal as "Oh, snobs!" or "Elites!" This isn't the case. In fact, it was the hard efforts put in by N&I and F7 players that allowed us to blossom as a community.
Gren - Today at 9:59 PM
^
Gren - Today at 10:00 PM
I remember very well the days before P2TM.
Cer - Today at 10:00 PM
They were hell.
Swith - Today at 10:00 PM
Alright, Followup Question: How did P2TM come into being?
Gren - Today at 10:00 PM
Well, I was more on the silly F7 side of things, but I always had respect for the serious stuff.
Kyrusia - Today at 10:01 PM
We :heart: your silliness, Gren. :stuck_out_tongue:
Gren - Today at 10:01 PM
Muchas gracias, Kyru. :heart:
Cer - Today at 10:02 PM
Max lifted his hind leg and pissed out F7. The swill swirled until we could take our constraints no longer. Khan and other old hands approached Admin. Long story short, they created the subforum but made it clear it didn't serve a purpose therefore could be taken away if we didn't behave as we promised to.
Giovenith - Today at 10:02 PM
The powers that be realize that there were RPs that were serious business but weren't directly related to nations. They weren't fit for F7 because they weren't spammy. They didn't fit for N&I because they involved original concepts. Thus, P2TM was born.
Cer - Today at 10:02 PM
*didn't serve a nation RP purpose
Gren - Today at 10:02 PM
As for the followup, from what I remember, most of the outcry was because of F7's autoprune. As anyone who RPs knows, its hard to keep track of your canon when it keeps getting deleted every few days.
Swith - Today at 10:03 PM
[Autoprune deletes threads after a certain amount of time passes without activity -- unless they are archived]
Kyrusia - Today at 10:03 PM
(7 days, as I recall off the top of my head, for the record.)
Swith - Today at 10:04 PM
Question er... 12 posed by Ched - "For N&I, should you make a puppet for each nation you make for it? Or can you have a puppet that blankets your activities in N&I?"
Gren - Today at 10:05 PM
I've seen some people's signatures state different nation names and government forms for various settings they RP in. I always thought that was kind of elegant.
Giovenith - Today at 10:05 PM
I guess whatever you want, but I think it'd be easier for your fellow players to use an account that reflects the canon you're using. Unless, say, two of your canons are interacting with each other, like enemy factions - that's best left to one account.
Kyrusia - Today at 10:06 PM
Q12: Do you have to? No. Would I personally? Yes. This is more of a stylistic choice than anything else, however; I just dislike sigs filled with, "Also I'm [State|MT], [State|FT], and [State|PMT]."(edited)
Gren - Today at 10:06 PM
You left out PT and FanT, Kyru.
:stuck_out_tongue:
Kyrusia - Today at 10:07 PM
impotent_rage.gif
Maltropia - Today at 10:07 PM
There are arguments for and against. Personally, I'd make a puppet for each canon - though if two nations are closely affiliated (e.g. overlord and client state) I might post for both from the one account.
The main argument for multiple puppets is for keeping things separate: I've posted as an 'NPC' nation on one of my puppets, and then had people say "hey, why is Trellin blowing up oil rigs?" That's the crazy NPC's environmentalists, not Trellin, but since Trellin posted it they think it's Trellin.
Swith - Today at 10:08 PM
I'd weigh in but I'm a moderator. :stuck_out_tongue: Ched, there are ways to set things up to keep continuity while portraying unique canon for your nation. If it's for what I think it is, we can get the FT peeps to help sort.
Question 13 Posed via PM. "Would anyone here ever consider doing a character-based, nation-based character story RP in P2TM?" [In other words, "would any N&I Mentors and P2TM Mentors want to do a joint RP for grins?", if I understand the question correctly.]
FRFS - Today at 10:12 PM
Q12: I'd make your own nation for every puppet. It really finalizes it, makes it real and permanent fixture.
Giovenith - Today at 10:12 PM
Depends on how it's set-up. I've seen interesting RPs in the past where the premise is sending a child from your nation to an international boarding school.(edited)
Gren - Today at 10:12 PM
I think they have a few of those in P2TM right now. Its not my cup of tea. I don't think I'm capable of juggling writing a good character and writing a good nation.
Kyrusia - Today at 10:13 PM
Q13: Strictly speaking, if it involves an NS-nation, it'd be best posted in N&I.
But yes, it'd depend. And like Gio said, those threads are interesting; they use to be fairly common fare on the NS board. I think Havensky is actually running a similar style of thread - or at least in the spirit thereof.
Swith - Today at 10:14 PM
Question 14 Posed earlier and paraphrased here - "What are you most proud of in your community, or what about your community makes you feel proud to be a part of it?"
Kyrusia - Today at 10:15 PM
Q14: The involvement of the community in the betterment of itself, to include aspects of self-policing. I would say "worldbuilding, roleplaying, and storytelling," but I think that goes without saying.(edited)
Gren - Today at 10:15 PM
In the wider RP community, or on P2TM, or in the RPs I'm in?
Giovenith - Today at 10:15 PM
The fact that we can be simultaneously open-natured and committed to quality. You usually only get one or the other in a lot of places.
Cer - Today at 10:16 PM
I haven't killed anyone yet.
Seriously, now, I'm proud of our efforts, and proud of our noobs for trying out new things. P2TM is a welcoming place. We don't have too many cliques, for the most part, and we seem to treat each other with kindness most of the time.
Swith - Today at 10:16 PM
Gren, I'm taking it to mean our main subforum haunt.
Clarification: yes, our main subforum haunt.
Gren - Today at 10:17 PM
Ah. I'm most proud, like Gio, of the fact that its so open, and yet, so filled with quality. There's literally something for everyone,.
Swith - Today at 10:19 PM
Final Question Posed by Rhodevus - "When you have RPing questions, who is your go-to mentor?"
Giovenith - Today at 10:19 PM
ME.
Kyrusia - Today at 10:19 PM
Depends on the topic of the question at hand.
Gren - Today at 10:20 PM
^^
Swith - Today at 10:20 PM
If that was posed to me personally, I go to Cer for a lot of stuff. I go to Kyru. And Lamoni. I'll go to non-Mentors as well, or to someone involved in NS Sports for sporting questions.
Giovenith - Today at 10:20 PM
But yeah, depends on the issue. Certain mentors are better at certain things.
Gren - Today at 10:20 PM
Usually, I either ask it here, or in the Madhouse server.
Or, just flat out ask the OP for a clarification.
Cer - Today at 10:21 PM
I just shake Swith like a magical 8-ball and wait for the answers to float to the top of her eyes.
Really it does depend on what I want to know and who I feel comfortable working with. Don't need a jacket to mentor, and our communities have a lot of people mentoring each other.
Kyrusia - Today at 10:21 PM
Each of our Mentors have their own focuses - things they specialize in and excell at - but pretty much all of us can tackle the general things about our respective section of the Program, and often more. In a lot of ways, it's who I see on at any given time if it's general enough. But even there, as Swith points out, there are a lot of players who are not Mentors that have their own expertise many of us likely feel is pertinent when it comes to certain things.
Gren - Today at 10:23 PM
I've had one or two people ask me about how to better portray trans characters, for instance.
Cer - Today at 10:25 PM
It's a community effort. If not, it should be.
Giovenith - Today at 10:25 PM
Ja, ja. It's friendship!
Gren - Today at 10:26 PM
And as we all know, friendship is voodoo.
Tilt - Today at 10:26 PM
Pierogis.
I think the only question I've ever had is how to portray a religious character. The RP ended up falling through so I didn't get to ask.
Didn't need, rather.
Swith - Today at 10:27 PM
NS Roleplay Symposium 2017
TOPIC: Differences and Similarities between N&I and 5D
TIME: COMPLETED
Thank you all for participating in today's panel! We look forward to seeing you back soon. Please join us in the #ns_mentors channel for chat and typical silliness!
Tomorrow's Symposium offerings: Sunday, July 9th, 2017
Introduction to Roleplaying (Broad Panel, Early Hour) — 11AM Eastern
Introduction to Roleplaying (Broad Panel, Late Hour) — 8PM Eastern
Diversity in the Roleplaying Community — 9PM Eastern
Kyrusia - Today at 10:29 PM
I'd like to take a moment to thank Swith for her dedication to coordinating the Symposium, keeping the OSF from turning into a giant cluster of tech-pain, and for moderating our panels this evening.
[You're welcome, Kyru. Thanks for placing your faith in me to get my part done for our Team!]