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Excellent Liz! I wondered what happened to you.

I don't even know if people still check this thing or chat on here, but I still think that this RP would take off if we went in the forums for a little bit. That's always been a really successful move for my RPs. The ones I didn't move to a forum at one point or the other seemed to flounder after awhile.

Taking a story to the forum for a little bit can not only bring in new RPers, but it also brings in fresh ideas and perspectives. What do you think, Chris?

Ever since the last time we posted in here, I've been tapped on ideas for a damn good plot to Spektral. Especially one that is long lasting. I don't know what it is, but I feel like I've forgotten how to tap into that creative stream of consciousness that we all feel as roleplayers, and as writers. You all know it. It's that ethereal oasis with the colorful rainbow of wildflowers and a mercury colored pool that we call 'imagination' and and full of ideas and inspiration, with a sky that is dark and light at the same exact time, and a sun that is eclipsed night and day, but doesn't cause blindness.

Yes, I still have a way of painting a picture with my word's, but nothing centralized and lasting in terms of a story. Liz and I tried to create a roleplay called "The Lost Sword" a while ago, but it didn't last and nobody really got into it. Within that story, I was going to some of the idea's that I had for Spektral, but it didn't work.

Something tells me that a lot of our friends are outgrowing Gaia, and the user base is starting to get smaller and smaller.

And didn't we do that before? Take Spektral to the forums, where it didn't take off?

I actually don't ever remember Spektral being in the forums, at least not since I've been here. I know we talked seriously about it, but I don't think it ever happened.

And I agree with Liz. In order for Spektral to thrive, we need to make new friends. There are still lots of people on Gaia and still some great, mature RPers. We just have to be willing to branch out, reach out. I think the forums would be great for that. Sure, we could make an OoC/discussion thread there or a recruitment one. My own personal feeling, though, and my own personal experiences has shown that RPs seem to be more successful and last longer if they at least try venturing into the forums. People are more likely to join if they can see what's being RPed out. But again, that's just my opinion, and the final decision definitely doesn't rest with me.

But let us lead it at first. We have 3 strong RPers who all want this to succeed. Let us show other people what the story is about and why it's so cool as we RP it out. They see it, they'll want to join. We have to be the foundation in the beginning.

As for plot, I think Spektral seems to flourish when we focus on the school setting. When we branch away from it, RPers seem to get lost or just lose interest. I mean at its core, in my opinion, Spektral is a school-based RP. It seems like ever since we started straying from that, we've lost RPers and interest.

Now, that's not to say we don't need a big, overlying plot to everything that might not be school based. If we had no plot, then again people lose interest. And it's hard to make a school RP last if there's not a big plot to it that doesn't really relate directly with the school. But I think the majority of the RPing and working toward the plot should take place in the school setting.

I'm willing to make one or a couple of teacher NPCs. I don't mind playing a teacher anymore. I don't plan on making them a main character, but I can make one or two that will lead classes. School RPs seem to work better when there are people RPing the teachers.

And I'm not saying we should start from scratch. I think that if we or someone else wants to, we should be able to keep our character(s) and their back story. I don't think any of the characters are the problem. I think the characters are fantastic and some of the best I've ever seen. I think they're our strength in the RP, along with Chris and his devotion and creativity. I think it's just the way we approach the RP and the plot needs to be tweaked.

Yes, I know, this is long, but ah well. It's just ideas I've been having since I've come back. And even before I left, Spektral was the only RP I was still interested in. That says something for it. There's something in it (in my opinion, the characters) that keeps pulling a few of us back. We know quality when we see it and are drawn to it. We need to let others see it.

I'm just going to throw out possible plots just to get the ball rolling. Maybe it will break away some of what's blocking you, Chris.

So, I still want to keep my character, Amy, and still have her be a student. But also, like I said, I'm willing to make some teacher NPCs. So, why not start with a new school year? Especially during the summer, school RPs seem to be popular in the forums. And maybe go back to making it like an X-Men, magic-based school. That's what drew me initially when I first joined Spektral waaaaaaaay back when. It was like the X-Men and the school for the gifted, only so much better.

So maybe we start off with just a regular school setting, back at Spektral, and go about RPing out school days and evening activities. Like have after-school events that give RPers a chance to post their character's abilities. It would also provide opportunities for all the characters to meet each other, if they want, and socialize. That way, hopefully no RPer will feel left out and quit. Maybe some dances, a magical creatures class always seems to be really popular and I can do the NPC teacher for that if we decide to do it. There could also be group parties after school, picnics... basically treat it like it's the freshman year of college for students. Start right off the bat with a lot of activities scheduled on the first day of school so there will be so many possibilities for not only the characters to interact with one another but also for RPers to meet each other through their characters. Don't leave an opportunity for someone to feel left out. I've always had RPers come to me with that complaint at one time or another. And if one person is feeling it, you can bet others are, and then it just snowballs until you can't seem to fix it.

And don't just build up to the events and put so much planning into it that it never happens. Do it right off the bat, the first day. Like I said, it'd be almost like a freshman orientation-type thing only for the whole school. Side note, Amy will hate it. lol!! But she'd still participate b/c she knows it'd be important to Allen. There will probably be other characters if we get new RPers that would have their characters be reluctant to join, but that would probably just be their characters. I think the RPers would love it. Interaction is key.

As for an overlying plot... threats to the school itself always seem to go over well. And a BIIIIG thing that I always see destroy RPs: don't make the threat about one main character! Make it about an entity. Making it about one or a couple of characters instantly makes others feel isolated and insulted. Like with Dragons, yeah Kagome and Emerson were the Twin Azure Dragons, but I tried to put just as much focus and importance on the Guardians. I wanted everyone to feel important. That's why I made them GUARDIANS and future leaders of their own country on Azura. Guardians are almost more important than the main superhero b/c the hero wouldn't be able to do what they do w/out their protectors or friends. The friends/protectors make up the core of a story, in my opinion. And everyone feels important then.

And, I didn't make the main plots about one person.. well, other than the villain. I made it about threats to planets, first Earth and then Azura. I think these are some of the reasons Dragons last so long. Everyone felt important and the main plot was focused on an entity, not a person. Everyone could and wanted to participate.

So, why not a threat to the school? I know we've done that before, but so? Do it again. It was popular during that plot where Spektral was threatened. That was in its heyday. I repeated a basic plot for the 2nd chapter of Dragons b/c the 1st chapter was so popular. People didn't care. Give them what they want. smile Make some big differences to the different aspects of the plot, but keep it the same if it works.

A big threat to Spektral. It usually should be a big evil character. Chris, you play them so well! I love it when you're the main bad character but also one of the main good characters, like Allen or Phantom. But don't shove the plot along at the beginning. Like, maybe introduce a little bit at a time, but let all the characters get to know each other in the beginning. Let the RP be about that in the beginning. Don't drive that. Introduce opportunities for everyone to meet and then sit back when we have RPers and let them drive the story for awhile.

Then as the story progresses, introduce the threat. But don't throw everything in all at once. Introduce it gradually. Make people wonder about it and really want to keep coming back to learn anything they can about what's coming up.

Phew!!! So those are my ideas so far.

Alright, now that we got pretty much an outline going, we ought to have one day this month or at least dedicate one day each week to planning. I purchased a guild chat space for 100k a long time ago, that would be perfect for coming up with ideas whenever we have meetings or are all online at the same time.

One day within these next two weeks, we ought to plan a mastermind jam session the topic being the first events of the first act of Spektral.

Will respond soon, but I immediately saw those gifs and loved them!!!

That's a very similar plot device to Mystic Fountain - the main plot is triggered by the presence of a nest of ghouls that have taken over the basement. Also, we started one month into the school year, the thread beginning with the homecoming dance.

Sometimes it's more interesting to start further in, maybe at a winter dance or Valentine's Day, or even just right after the first day ends. The first-day-of-school intro scenes can take forever...

-still really wants to play an unlikeable jackass teacher-

Too morbid??

Let me get the gif for that.



Excellent.

They don't have to be past established characters, but that sort of drama would be good. People become ghosts when they have unfinished business, so a school surrounded by several dozen anguished and angry ghosts seeking some form of closure and vengeance?

That's good s**t right there.



I DEMAND BLOOD, GUTS, TEARS, AND MORAL UNCERTAINTY.

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