[quote=@Arawak]
(I know I haven't really been around for like, ages but I remember this)

I agree a lot with the directionless aspects.  I can't say I didn't contribute to that sense because I was told I had a vast sum of space and places when it started and so decided that meant I could use a vast sum of space for some fictional faction.  I thought initially there would have been more cooperation in the story telling aspects in the sense that the GMs would build some story arc with the factions.  What I didn't take into account was that when you have many factions constantly added such planning is very hard.  Which is a bit inexcusable on my part as someone who dwelled normally in the depths of the NRP forum.

Another thing was that the IC got ridiculously chaotic, making it pretty much useless to get any story arcs going like I tried doing.  Random characters bursting it made it hard to really structure things and shifting attention story-wise made it exhausting to deal with.

I also found the focus on character powers over making unique characters with unique perspectives a bit irritating as the app sheets facilitated that with the tier system and how the sheets emphasized abilities and gear as much as it did. 

Than you have the more internal issues I have, but these are issues with the general culture of the site and more my own scruples. I am no fan of the genres that other players on this site embrace.  I didn't feel like a lot of people were being creative enough with the canvas given to them and instead stuck to anime stuff.  It seemed like the overwhelming majority of people was some anime character.  However I find that anime is ubiquitous with RPs in general, especially on forums dedicated to them like this one.  I wouldn't have been so bothered by it if there was more diversity of media inspiration going in.  I tried to facilitate that with that new space opera based faction I hosted to little success as people would still draw from anime instead of any other medium.  And what was I to do, tell people they couldn't make anime based characters within the faction when the overwhelming majority of players do that? 

Like, you are given the whole universe and all you do is populate it with anime characters.  Don't get me wrong, I know there's lots of anime stuff that makes use of such large scale spaces with weird alien creatures, but like if you are going for some multiverse RP setting wouldn't drawing from everywhere make more sense than drawing only from anime?  I know there's a minority of players who did that, but the majority didn't.

That being said while I don't have interest (I like star wars, but don't have interest in participating in fandom stuff), I can see why the next PW is a star wars one.  Much less need to worry about the technology-magic balance when every character isn't having their own magic system or tech paradigm and instead drawing from star wars lore.  
[/quote]

The Expanse (and maybe Stellaris) are excellent sources for alien (and some human) imagery to draw from that are not anime.