[color=F5F5F5][right][sub][color=ECB53D]Issue No.1[/color]   |   [color=silver][i]July, 2019[/i][/color][/sub][/right][CENTER][H1][b]R   [color=ECB53D]P[/COLOR][/b]   [color=silver]G[/color]   [b]N[/b][/H1][color=gray][sup][sub]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/sub][/sup][/color]
[sup][b]r o l e[color=ECB53D] p l a y e r [/COLOR][/b][color=silver]g u i l d[/color]   [b]n e w s[/b][/sup]
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[SUP][COLOR=SILVER]" [I]E x t r a!   E x t r a!   R e a d   A l l   A b o u t   I t![/I] "[/COLOR][/SUP][/CENTER][SUB][hr][/SUB][INDENT][SUB][color=ECB53D]I N T R O D U C T I O N:[/color][/SUB][/INDENT][hr]
[INDENT][INDENT][s][i]"Don't call it a comeback!"[/i][/s]

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No really, please don't. Let's not start off on that foot again. Too many of these have started out with the same clichés and if there's one thing I've always prided myself on it's not doing things the same as everyone else. Now that all said, I have literally been here for years, which of course begs the question:

Who am I? The man behind the People's Press?

I'm just your neighbourhood friendly [@Lord Wraith]. Some of you may already be familiar with me, some of you may have played in my games or even alongside me in other games. But to many others, I'm probably quite new or unknown. I'll spare you all the gory details, no tragic origin stories here, but let me just give you a brief rundown. I got my start with roleplaying on a little forum called 'Sprites' Inc'. Originally I had been creating sprite comics until eventually, I grew fonder of writing. There was a small roleplaying community there, but there really wasn't the room for growth. So I headed off to the ol'Google Machine and clicked on the first site I came across.

That was in 2010.

From there, the rest is history. I've been with the Guild since before Guildfall and I'm still here long after it. I've cut my teeth on the Guild trying my hand at various genres before carving a nice niche for myself in the world of superheroics and cape escapades. I've made good friends here, I've made people laugh and I'm sure as hell I've pissed a few people off. But no matter what, the Guild is home and I'm happy to help her in any capacity I can. Which of course leads us to just what the damn hell 'RPGN' is. 

[i]Why it's Roleplayer Guild News, dummy.[/i]

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I prefer to affectionately call it the People's Press because honestly, it's a community and Roleplayer Guild News' should reflect that. The goal of RPGN is to lend a helping hand, whether that's by shining the Roleplay Spotlight on interest checks or pointing interest players towards ongoing roleplays. It's by making sure the hard work of dedicated roleplayers pays off in the Roleplay Landmarks. The People's Press can be a source of discussion as a community or a place for new and old users alike to reach out for advice from the community.

Each month I'll be bringing you new content either sought out by myself or submitted to me by viewers like you. I'll begin each issue with some sort of charismatic spiel before then launching in Guild Announcements. My plan is to establish a working relationship with the Guild Mods so that each month I can provide the users with the what's what here on RPG. After that's out of the way we'll move onto the fun stuff. Each month, I'll be seeking out a GM, whether by suggestion or my own interest and getting to know them a little better through an interview. You'll get the full experience here in the monthly newsletter and hopefully, their experiences, successes and failures will help you with your own RPing adventure. 

Then we move into the community spotlight portion of the newsletter. Roleplay Landmarks will give the GMs and players a chance to show off to the community. If you've completed a story, season arc, I want to give you a shout out! Hit a hundred IC post, hell yeah I want to know. Hit a thousand IC posts? You better be submitting for a landmark. Anniversaries, please let me know, I'll put it up for the world to see. Too many times we let ourselves dwell on the negative aspects of roleplaying, let's give the positive a chance to shine for once. 

Roleplay Spotlights gives GMs and players another chance to advertise their favourite games. Need players? Send me a link and a description of the RP and I'll do my best to make sure you get featured in the next issue. First come first serve will apply, because realistically I can only feature so many RPs, we don't want this to go on too long.

[i][s]Or maybe you do, ya sadist.[/s][/i]

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Either way, I'm happy to accept your submissions and give you a chance to let people know a little more about your RP if they haven't seen it before. And hey, if you don't submit anything to me, I'm just going to post ones I think you'll find interesting. Do you really want the guy who has been RPing since 2010 to show you what he thinks you'll be interested in? I thought not, so [i]send in your submissions, please!.[/i]

After that, I'll do my part to give the contest section some love. Lord [i](ha!)[/i] knows [@Frizan] and [@BrokenPromise] put their blood and sweat into that part of RPG and I want to make sure they get the recognition they deserve. Any ongoing contests will be featured with a link and a short description so be sure to check those out. Also, sidenote, anyone can run a contest with permission from the Contest Mods so if you don't like what's there, why not pitch in and give it a shot?

Next up is the Community Discussion where I'll pose a question or thought to the group. Be sure to chime in below with your thoughts and as always, keep it civil and be excellent to one another. After that is our new Advice Column where you can send me your questions anonymously and I'll do my best to answer them and post them up in next month's edition of RPGN.

Lastly, I'll add some concluding thoughts and who knows, maybe future issues could have some other fun stuff added down the road. I'm new, I'm still wet behind the ears but I am ready to dive in.
  
So, without further ado here's this month's edition of RPGN!
[right][color=gray][sub][S]Please don't forget to like, subscribe and comment.[/s][/sub][/color][/right][/INDENT][/INDENT]
[SUB][hr][/SUB][INDENT][SUB][color=ECB53D]G U I L D   A N N O U N C E M E N T S:[/color][/SUB][/INDENT][hr]
[INDENT][INDENT]On June 25, [@Altered Tundra] resigned from his role as Chat Moderator on the Guild's Discord Server, RPGO. Altered Tundra had served as a chat moderator from the time of the role's inception in April of 2018, faithfully serving the Guild and her community for over a year. A big RPG thank you to Altered Tundra for the time he gave the site and as its server as a Chat Mod.

In related news, Site Staff are now taking recommendations for new Chat Moderators. If you know someone who would make a good moderator for RPGO, please forward your nomination to [@Hank] or any other member of [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/staff]RPG's Staff[/url]. Nominees must be active members of Roleplayer Guild and able to use Discord. 

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[INDENT][INDENT]This month, the People's Press sat down with the Persistent World Moderators running the [URL=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/forums/49-star-wars-persistent-galaxy-roleplay]Star Wars Persistent Galaxy Roleplay[/url] to discuss their challenges, achievements, objectives and goals. We even found a moment to talk about what other Persistent World-styled RPs the game could see in the future. So sit back, grab a cold glass of blue milk and give your favourite Wookiee a squeeze, 'cause this is where the fun begins.

[INDENT][RIGHT][color=ECB53D][quote=RPGN]Alright, let's rip the band-aid off. What are the biggest struggles you're facing as the Persistent World GMs?[/quote][/color][/RIGHT]

[color=silver][quote=@Ruby]Our biggest issue is perception. Mahz and I talked about this not that long ago: he gets a lot of hate mail about us. People see us as an RP like any other on the site, and they resent us getting our own sub-forum and where that sub-forum is located on the Guild front page. That'd be fair if were like any RP, but we're not.

Players control where this game goes, not the GMs/PW Mods. Case in point: one group of our players really gets active and makes a great story for players not into Jedi and Sith.

The faster people realize if they don't like something about this game they can join it and change it over time with activity and effort the faster everyone will see what this was meant to be.[/quote]

[quote=@Ezekiel]Yeah I'd second the perception issue. The PW is perceived as a failure simply because it takes time as a project. Yet you look at it now and we're steadily chugging along into activity and the game is a big reason why a certain group of players remain on site. We've had a lot of passive aggression in guild statuses and on the main discord. I've noticed that enough.[/quote]

[quote=@Sundered Echo]The biggest struggle for me, I think, was in ensuring that we all resisted knee-jerk reactions to the hate and complaints we got pre-release. The natural reaction to all of the "It's not going anywhere" "Nothing has been done" "Its already dead" and "Release now or I'm leaving" that we had to endure would've been to show everything we had just to prove them wrong.

The problem with doing that is that it is essentially a soft launch, and transitions one out of fully focusing on preparation and on to trying to prep while also being a GM. This was a problem Ellri and I had in our previous SW RP, so we were keen on avoiding it with this even larger scale project.[/quote][/color]

[RIGHT][color=ECB53D][quote=RPGN]Compared to other RPs you've created and/or run in the past, how has the PW Experience been different?[/quote][/color][/RIGHT]

[color=silver][quote=Ezekiel]For one, there was a huge amount of prep work in the form of sorting out the lore/guides/sheets.[/quote]

[quote=@Sini]Word. Also a lot more behind the screens management and collaboration within the GM team. We try to be as inclusive as possible, but sometimes things have to go fast. I'd say that most interactions I've been in were civil if not cordial. Lots of guides.[/quote]

[quote=@Jackdaw]I actually started with play-by-post roleplaying on Invisionfree boards that were, effectively, persistent worlds with a couple of dozen or so users at most. Coming to a forum where the model is to have thousands of users across hundreds of distinct threads entirely unconnected to each other was an odd shift for me. I think the substantive differences between the two plays into the first question a bit. The forum isn’t designed with a persistent world in mind, and the userbase hasn’t traditionally played in this manner.

With that in mind, introducing the Persistent World is a tough ask, to begin with; with the delay between announcement and the ribbon cutting ceremony, it’s easy to see how initial engagement was low. Given that the idea has a solid grounding and things are now in motion, though, the big hurdles have largely been overcome and I expect the active users will continue growing in number.[/quote]

[quote=@Ellri]There were people wanting to rush launch. Half of the material for the guides was initially made for [color=gray][my][/color] last RP. The key difference between that RP and the [color=gray][PW][/color] is that [color=gray][noparse][I][/noparse][/color] intentionally made that one focused towards a single story, whereas the [color=gray][PW][/COLOR] is meant for many stories. Which in turn meant the need for a few additional guides. and expansions to some of the existing ones[/quote]

[quote=Sini]I find we've had to cross-check and reference a lot of the source material. Some of the old guides were useful, but they still had to be adapted, redacted. Others created from scratch discussed. There's been a bit of a peer-review if I can call it that. On top of that, Disney acquiring Lucas' legacy didn't always make it easier for us to select what was useful and what not. Legends versus the new canon and such were something I found myself sighing at a bit if I'm honest.[/quote][/color]

[RIGHT][color=ECB53D][quote=RPGN]How has having a large team differed to running an RP by yourself or with one or two Co-GMs?[/quote][/color][/RIGHT]

[color=silver][quote=Ezekiel]I think we've worked well as a team. It was certainly a group effort to get things off the ground. Ellri wrote a huge amount of the guides but each of us contributed to those, then we've all be working to spark activity.

It's not been all smooth sailing, we've had disputes and we had to drop one GM. But I'd take the disputes over not having an enthusiastic and creative team anyday[/quote]

[quote=Sundered Echo] Quite enjoyable for the most part. I prefer to work in a team of specialists rather than having to manage everything myself, and I feel we have all fallen nicely into our places here. This team is definitely greater than the sum of its parts.[/quote]

[quote=Ellri]Well, there’s always the challenge of remembering not to run roughshod over those who aren’t as stubborn or who don’t know when to jump up and say “No! Stop!”.[/quote]

[quote=Jackdaw]Well enough, though I’m a recent addition to the team and wasn’t here for the majority of the GMing action. We all have our corners and there are more eyes on the ball when it comes to things over which we share joint responsibility. All the same, there’s a lot less GMing and a lot more RPing to be done now.[/quote]
[/color]

[RIGHT][color=ECB53D][quote=RPGN]What has been your favourite part of the PW experience?[/quote][/color][/RIGHT]

[color=silver][quote=Jackdaw]I love Persistent Worlds. It’s been a long time since I’ve played in one and it’s great to be back in a system where role players I don’t directly engage with on the forum are directly affecting the world we play in together. I have very fond memories of playing a part in a much larger story co-written by a dozen or more other people, and I’m looking forward to building something even bigger and better here.[/quote]

[quote=Ruby]You meet so many new people. This thing transcends some clique lines, and that's been amazing. It's truly a community project anyone can jump in and have fun with, whether they wanna carve out their own personal IC kingdom or join with a group of adventurous Jedi.[/quote]

[quote=@Heat]Seeing all of the different characters that people come up with. Everyone really seems to be trying to make their own unique, interesting characters.[/quote]

[quote=Sini]Meeting new, enthusiastic writers - and being part of something bigger than the usual type of RP.[/quote][/color]

[RIGHT][color=ECB53D][quote=RPGN]What would you ideally like to see happen with not only for this PW but any future ones on RPG?[/quote][/color][/RIGHT]

[color=silver][quote=Jackdaw]With any luck this persistent world will be around for a long while, but future persistent worlds that do come about would probably be well-served by tackling in advance the launch-related issues that dogged this endeavour at the start.[/quote]

[quote=Heat]For other PWs I’d like to see all kinds of ideas for them. Since there’s so many. Could do ones set in fandoms like Game of Thrones or Star Trek, or entirely original universes.[/quote]

[quote=Ruby]TES has been brought up as a possible second PW if this one does okay. So have Comics. [color=gray][I'd also like to see that][/color] people see them as community projects for everyone.[/quote]

[quote=Sundered Echo]Future PW style RPs should always remember the importance of pre-launch preparation. Making sure the appropriate resources are ready for the players in their entirety before starting is vital, but perhaps a less obvious element of pre-launch prep is that it gives time for the GM team to get to know each other more and mesh into a functional team before diving headlong into the thick of it.

I cannot stress enough the value of preparation. Having everything in order before you open things up to the chaos of players cuts down on stress immensely, ensures the smooth running of the initial phases of the RP and ensures GMs don't burn out early.[/quote][/color]

[RIGHT][color=ECB53D][quote=RPGN]What would you say to anyone considering joining the PW?[/quote][/color][/RIGHT]

[color=silver][quote=Ellri]Take your time in creating a character. Don’t be afraid to start over or let him/her/it die. Ask questions. Both players and GMs are willing to help you.[/quote]

[quote=Sundered Echo]Even the smallest and most seemingly insignificant character is every bit as valuable as a Senator, Jedi Master or Fleet Admiral.[/quote]

[quote=Ruby]Be prepared for the long haul. I've told people it'll take years for this to reach it's potential. In the meantime enjoy the ride.[/quote]

[quote=Jackdaw]Bring your friends![/quote][/color][/INDENT]
If you love Star Wars, be sure to give the [URL=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/forums/49-star-wars-persistent-galaxy-roleplay]Star Wars Persistent Galaxy Roleplay[/url] a look.

And may the Force be with You, always.[/INDENT][/INDENT]
[SUB][hr][/SUB][INDENT][SUB][color=ECB53D]R O L E P L A Y   L A N D M A R K S:[/color][/SUB][/INDENT][hr]
[INDENT][INDENT]RPGN is happy to recognize [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/163808-x-men-house-of-m/ic]X-Men: House of M[/url] and its GM, [@BlueSky44] for nearly 1000 IC post. Furthermore, Blue has created a breathtaking experience that really lets you feel the extent of this RP universe she has been instrumental in creating. This is the fourth story arc for the X-Men roleplay and it continues to go strong, with amazing character development and interaction, and classic comic book action that is at time reminiscent of X-Men the Animated Series 

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Congratulations to BlueSky44 and her players for such an awesome achievement. Looking forward to seeing more from you guys in the future.

RPGN is also happy to recognize [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/173153-palm-beach-royals-senior-year/ic]Palm Beach Royals: Senior Year[/url] and its GM, [@Dirty Pretty Lies] for its achievement of over 400 IC posts. Palm Beach Royals will also be celebrating its one year anniversary later this month and is showing no sign of slowing down. Since January of 2019, the RP has been achieving an average of thirty posts every month. Additionally, the game has kept most of the original cast while also gaining a handful of new and returning players. 

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Congratulations to Dirty Pretty Lies and her players for their amazing accomplishment. Looking forward to reporting in this time next year for another notch in your belt.[/INDENT][/INDENT]
[SUB][hr][/SUB][INDENT][SUB][color=ECB53D]R O L E P L A Y   S P O T L I G H T:[/color][/SUB][/INDENT][hr][INDENT][SUB][color=silver]I N T E R E S T   C H E C K S:[/color][/SUB]
[INDENT][SUB][color=GRAY]◼   FREE[/color][/SUB]

[INDENT][URL=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4906699]The Family That Slays Together[/url]

[INDENT][I]Since the days of old, human beings have always been preyed upon by those creatures that dwell within the world in the shadows. For century's mankind were helpless to the might of the creatures of the night, and it seemed these dark forces may reign forever. Humanity was on the brink of destruction until the intervention of a clan of warriors comprised of the most skilled fighters, tacticians, and inventors from everywhere around the globes came together with the purpose of hunting and destroying the creatures of the supernatural that would cause
humanity harm. As the centuries passed this clan of warriors became an organization known as The Slayers, a group of men and women dedicated to hunting the supernatural creatures that harmed humans.[/I][/INDENT]
[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4909666]The Mansion Out of Time and Between Worlds[/url]

[INDENT][I]You awake one day to find a mysterious letter with a wax seal. Upon opening the letter it reads the following:

"Hello, I sent this letter inviting anyone and everyone seeking to learn or visit other worlds. You have been chosen because you're significant in your world's story. You play key roles and I believe you have great potential. Come by the mansion for whatever you desire, be it wealth, fame, or simply something new. Now I'm sure you're wondering who exactly I am. I am known simply as the Collector. Don't worry about addresses, you may not remember the way but everyone knows it just go you'll find yourself knocking on my door soon enough."[/I][/INDENT][/INDENT]
[SUB][color=GRAY]◼   CASUAL[/color][/SUB]

[INDENT][URL=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4913752]OBLIVION— a linear superhero roleplay[/URL]

[INDENT][I] Do you grow tired of aimless sandboxes with no direction? Then welcome to a world that is as much a sandbox as a litter tray is an appropriate toilet for a human. Sure, you could have a nice shite in your kitty litter, but why would you want to? 

The subject, of course, will be superpowers and everything that comes with them. Set in a small town, the catalyst for the roleplay is a high school reunion, some 7 years after graduation, wherein certain events lead to our group of untimely people gaining powers. From there, the narrative can branch off into several points. It's all about bouncing ideas back and forth and finding what works for us in the OOC, and the characters in the IC.[/I][/INDENT]

[URL=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4916635]We're The Lucky Ones[/URL]

[INDENT][I]There are three things that revolves around and that you depend on in your life. No matter how you pretend that it doesn't, you know the truth and the fact that life is just a big game of chance. Money, power, and respect are those aforementioned things and with them in your life, you know that you are nothing and worthless. Some people are born into wealth and acquire respect through the power that they have. Some are born without money but gain power by force along with respect. Others are born with just enough money and just enough respect but they hardly ever gain any power because of their status. Funny how life works that way, right? Although you do everything right, you can still have none of the above.[/I][/INDENT][/INDENT]
[SUB][color=GRAY]◼   ADVANCED[/color][/SUB]

[INDENT][url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4915453]Grisaille Genesis[/url]

[INDENT][I]This story will focus on your characters going through the drama of setting up a civilization while battling the Filth and studying the past. There will be drama, there will be dives into ancient dungeons, there will be ruins and strange artifacts, there will be sieges, and there will be many a conflict. This is all done through you, the player. While your main character will be the crowned one, you are allowed to use and make any side character you wish, while I play everything else, including the Filth. This is narrative based and collaboration is encouraged. Skies the limit, and if it helps any, your technology level is aesthetically the end of the 11th to the early 12th century.[/I][/INDENT]
[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4913197]~The Masque of The Red Death~[/url]

[INDENT][I]This is a roleplay adaption of Edgar Allan Poe’s Masque of The Red Death. One of my favourite short stories of his. The story is about a dreadful plague that sweeps across the realms, striking scores upon scores dead. Uncaring for the common folk and wanting only for he and his consorts to survive the plague, the flamboyant aristocrat Lord Prospero invites all the noble folk to take refuge in his estate. (Some versions call it an abbey. We will simply refer to it as a castle estate.)

The estate is massive, and Prospero, his guardsmen, servants, and one thousand noble folks all hideaway within the walls to avoid the plague. One night, Prospero hosts a masquerade ball to better morale and make people forget about the wrath of the plague. All is well and good until a mysterious guest with a bloody visage of death arrives. Bringing the plague itself...[/I][/INDENT][/INDENT]
[SUB][color=GRAY]◼   NICHE[/color][/SUB]

[INDENT][url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4916983]Nation RP Ideas by Theodorablee[/url]

[INDENT][i][b]The Gods, Men and Everything in Between:[/b] This is probably the least inclined to represent a hard faction NRP but seems to embody the necessary characteristics nonetheless. Players take on the form of Gods/Goddesses and start in a world that barely exists. Utilizing well-defined mechanics, those deities will shape the world—-it’s geography, it’s climate—and create races for which to populate it—-humans, elves, dwarves, frogmen, whatever your imagination can come up with.

[b]The Statesmen:[/b] A geopolitical, economic and military simulator that takes place following the War. There are the Great & Victorious States, The Defeated, and the Forgotten. You must meet your nation’s National Goal, work towards your alliances Strategic Goals, as well as seeking opportunities that may help your own nation or simply hurt your opponents.[/i][/INDENT][/INDENT][/INDENT]
[SUB][color=silver]O N G O I N G   R O L E P L A Y S:[/color][/SUB]

[INDENT][SUB][color=GRAY]◼   FREE[/color][/SUB]

[INDENT][url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4881198]The Assassin's Guild[/url]

[INDENT][I]When the world finds peace is the day we will fade away. But until that time we will not rest for the need of our skills is constant. The others are now gone. I'm the last remaining member of the Guild. I would normally never go looking for those that have little to no training in the art. But if you're reading this. Then you will find a home within the Guild.[/I][/INDENT]
[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4913239]Pokémon: Earth[/url]

[INDENT][I]Within the infinity of the multiverse, there lies a parallel Earth where Pokemon are real. Life here is a mixture of what we see in the anime and what we know as reality.

For example, you need to be eighteen years old to become a trainer, but with parent permission or special circumstances, you can obtain a permit as early as your sixteenth birthday. Once you've become a trainer, life is quite similar to the anime. You can compete in battle leagues and contests. You can become a breeder or a ranger. The world is your Cloyster.

However you decide to spend your time, the International Pokemon Association will be there to aid you. They provide free services such as health care (found at Poke Centers), free items such as Pokeballs (found at Poke Marts), and a number of other things like free transportation. Poke Centers and Poke Marts are found in practically every city and town in the world. 

In return for the free aid, trainers agree to carry out assignments, which are sent directly to your Pokedex. You may turn down assignments, but of course, turning down too many will result in your loss of trainer status. At which point, you will no longer receive free services or items, but your Pokemon won't be taken from you or anything.
[/I][/INDENT][/INDENT]
[SUB][color=GRAY]◼   CASUAL[/color][/SUB]

[INDENT][url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4860404]Elder Scrolls: Skingrad Company[/url]

[INDENT][I]The year is 4E 51, around fifty years after the Oblivion Crisis and the sacrifice of the last member of the Septim Dynasty, Martin Septim. The Empire has never really been able to capture it's former glory. The Third Aldmeri Dominion was formed and took control of the Summerset Isles and Valenwood with the Empire being too weak to stop them. The whole of Tamriel is strife with conflict and many of the people are in danger. More Bandits than ever before pray on the weak. The Daedra still appear to be strong, despite the efforts of Martin Septim and the Hero of Kvatch. Rumours of unknown elves in the wilderness of Cyrodiil are attacking people without mercy who venture too far off the main paths and much more. These are just some of the problems facing Tamriel at the moment. [/I][/INDENT]
[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4913589]✡ Welcome to Salem, Massachusetts ✡[/url]

[INDENT][I]It has been some time in which nearly every individual taking place within the supernatural community has experienced omens or visions of a mysterious force that is hinting towards catastrophic events. This has stirred fear and panic — causing several covens, packs, and groups to close their doors and lock their gates. Here in Salem, Massachusetts, survival is hard when placed in the heart of the supernaturals' dwelling, thus, it is easy to become callous and selfish, shutting out the rest of society to ensure one's own safety. Though, it is now that these tendencies have been cast aside, and a door has been opened, inviting fellow creatures of the night to come and discuss their experiences and their fears to help inform the rest of the community. Perhaps the time has come to ignore all rivalries and centuries-long quarrels to allow for a chance at some kind of unity, regardless of how short-lived it may be, to discover what it is to come.[/I][/INDENT][/INDENT]

[SUB][color=GRAY]◼   ADVANCED[/color][/SUB]

[INDENT][URL=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4835617]𝔽𝕦𝕥𝕚𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪: 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔾𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥 𝔾𝕒𝕞𝕖[/URL]

[INDENT][I]In the year 2064, the mere thought of such a prospect is as futile as finding love in virtual reality. Everything is futile these days, really. You know that, but you’re going against futility anyways aren’t you? We’ll see how long you last. After all, survival is hard enough as is in America these days. After global temperatures skyrocketed leaving most of the landscape arid dustlands and sea levels rising just as quickly, American citizens flocked to urban megaregions. Living outside the walls of the urbanization movement is as much of a death sentence as slighting one of the corporate conglomerates that run their roots deep through the political game. I suppose the choice is between fighting the volcanic faults and dust storms outside the walls or the corruption and gangs inside the walls.[/I][/INDENT]
[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4907419]Red Dead Recoking[/url]

[INDENT][I]The year is 1897. 

The age of Outlaws and Gunslingers was reaching its twilight.  America was becoming a land of laws.  Even the West had mostly been tamed.  A few gangs still roamed, but they were being hunted down and destroyed.[/I][/INDENT][/INDENT]
[SUB][color=GRAY]◼   NICHE[/color][/SUB]

[INDENT][url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4910105]The Last Laugh[/url]
[indent][i]The Ashtar? Bunch of assholes. Bullshitty jumped-up psychic hippy assholes. Ask literally anyone anywhere and they’ll say the same.						

They popped up almost exactly 130 years ago. And I do mean “popped up”; one day they were just everywhere all at once, and everyone knew who they were, and why they had come.

It was a noble enough goal; peace in our time and all that good shit. It’s just that they were such giant assholes about it.

You ever been Pushed? No, course you haven’t, you’re too young. Not a psintegrat in the galaxy these days who could do what the Ashtar did, thank the Gods. When they came, they Pushed us. All of us. Every last man woman and child, every blip of sentient spacefaring life in the galaxy. It didn’t hurt, not really. Psintegrae that we have, what they do hurts. It’s a fight when they try to change something, a fight you have a chance in. But getting Pushed...well, one moment your mind is one way, then you have a little stabby feeling behind the eyes, then your mind is another way. The Ashtar wanted the Galaxy to know why they were here, and they didn’t want to waste time with sub space transmissions and translation algorithms. So they just...Pushed. Some folks didn’t mind it, some folks clawed their own eyes out. Guess I fell somewhere in the middle.
[/i][/indent][/INDENT][/INDENT][/INDENT]
[SUB][hr][/SUB][INDENT][SUB][color=ECB53D]C O M M U N I T Y   C O N T E S T S:[/color][/SUB][/INDENT][hr]
[INDENT][INDENT]Unfortunately, at this time there are no ongoing Community Contests which is a major bummer. I did, however, speak to our resident Contest Moderator, [@Frizan] who assured me he's got something in the pipeline. So be sure to keep an eye out for that, but in the meantime, anyone can create a contest so long as they get permission from Frizan or [@RPGC]. So if you've got some time on your hands and want to make other people work really hard for validation, why not show the Contest Sub-Forum some love?

Who knows, it could even be fun![/INDENT][/INDENT]
[SUB][hr][/SUB][INDENT][SUB][color=ECB53D]C O M M U N I T Y   D I S C U S S I O N:[/color][/SUB][/INDENT][hr][INDENT][SUB][color=silver]P R E V I O U S  D I S C U S S I O N:[/color][/SUB]

[INDENT]None at this time, but be sure to watch this spot next month for the summary of this month's community discussion.[/INDENT]
[SUB][color=silver]C U R R E N T  D I S C U S S I O N:[/color][/SUB]

[INDENT]What do you need to play a roleplay?

A GM and players help, like a lot, but before all that you need a story, a setting, lore and rules. At least, the GM does. But what do you need to play a roleplay? For those of you yelling 'CHARACTER!' at your monitor in frustration right now, you're absolutely correct. But, you don't just have a character, you have to create one. 

Character creation is a key component of any roleplay. Even before writing in a jump-in RP, you need to have some idea of who or what your character is before those first couple keystrokes are entered onto the screen. So  I pose the question to you, what factors go into creating a character? What do you think is important to consider? Or do you start with nothing but an appearance and a name and the rest comes from exploring the setting? There are no wrong answers here, I want to know what works for you.  

As a friendly reminder, keep all discussion civil and remember the golden rule:[/INDENT][/INDENT]
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[SUB][hr][/SUB][INDENT][SUB][color=ECB53D]A D V I C E   C O L U M N:[/color][/SUB][/INDENT][hr]
[INDENT][INDENT][RIGHT][QUOTE=Overwhelmed Oscar][COLOR=silver]My biggest struggle has never been the part of a player but as a GM. I can follow another's lead no problem or even take the lead temporarily until a time comes when the actual leader takes back the reigns, but the biggest issue is, at least for me, the pressure of having to handle the big decisions on my own. Yes, I know Co-gms exist for a reason and sometimes I do try tackle too much by myself or I don't lean on the co-gms I have and that's totally on me, but I just think the pressure sometimes gets to me. And that's not even factoring in the potential disinterest players might have in the roleplay itself. Pair that with my own general lack of faith in myself as a GM is what I find I struggle with the most.[/COLOR][/QUOTE][/RIGHT]
[INDENT][I]Dear Overwhelmed Oscar,

[INDENT]First and foremost, let me point you to the experts. [@Dervish] and [@Lady Amalthea] have constructed [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4875611]several[/url] [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/127735-gming-101-updated-july-7th-2018/ooc]well-made[/url] [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/3839815]guides[/url] on the subject of GMing. I swear by Devish's guide, but by no means is that a knock against Lady A. Dervish's style just meshes more with my own and as a GM it's very important you stick to your guns. GMing is a lot of managing. You'll need to learn to make a plan and stick with it. Once you've got that down, if you're still feeling overwhelmed, learn to delegate. You have Co-GMs, put them to work. Don't keep them out of the loop, share your plans and goals with them. Help them to help you. The first thing I always delegate to my Co-GMs when I can is character sheet reviews. I hate it, I don't enjoy anything about reviewing character sheets. 

But that's another tangent, the point here is that if you're feeling overwhelmed then it's time to divide in conquer. Get yourself a pair of Co-GMs you can trust. If you want to drive the story, that's fine, put one of them in charge of the OOC/Discord whatever else. Have another one manager the administration. You're a team, the sooner you learn to work like one the sooner everyone will be happy.

And when that happens, you'll learn why it's good to be the boss.[/INDENT] 
	Sincerely,

[color=ECB53D]The People's Press[/COLOR][/I][/INDENT]
[RIGHT][QUOTE=Paranoid Pattie][COLOR=silver]Whenever I join a game, I feel like people are really suspicious of me. Why does everyone think I'm an alt account? How do I make sure everyone in a game I join doesn't hate me?[/COLOR][/QUOTE][/RIGHT]
[INDENT][I]Dear Paranoid Pattie,

[INDENT]There's only one way to be sure that everyone in a game doesn't hate you. Give it the ol'college try! While this may seem counter-intuitive, it sounds like to me that you've had a couple of bad experiences in the past that have left you with a skewered perspective. This is in no doubt related to your experience with being mistaken as an alt. Anyone can be mistaken as an alt due to portraying similar traits and tics to other more notable users. Stick with the roleplay and give the people a chance to get to know you and in time they'll see you for you.

And they'll like what they see.[/INDENT]
	Sincerely,

[color=ECB53D]The People's Press[/COLOR][/I][/INDENT]
[RIGHT][QUOTE=Lunatic Larry][COLOR=silver]Which is the best lunar phase to post your RP during for maximum cosmic fortune?[/COLOR][/QUOTE][/RIGHT]
[INDENT][I]Dear Lunatic Larry,

[INDENT]For most RPs, you'll find the lunar phase won't matter much, but there are a few exceptions you should be aware of. Firstly, always launch Arena RPs under a blood moon for maximum carnage. This can also be applied to RPs featuring vampires and serial killers. If you're doing a smutty 1x1 check, ensure it's a full moon when you put up your thread. This can also be attributed to any RP featuring werewolves as well. Star Wars RPs should always be launched under a Blue Harvest Moon, especially if you want your Rebels to overthrow the Empire in the third act.

Try not to overthink it though, and never let anyone tell you the odds, no matter the lunar phase.[/INDENT]
	Sincerely,

[color=ECB53D]The People's Press[/COLOR][/I][/INDENT][/INDENT][/INDENT]
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[SUB][hr][/SUB][INDENT][SUB][color=ECB53D]C O N C L U S I O N:[/color][/SUB][/INDENT][hr]
[INDENT][INDENT]Well hopefully that wasn't too painful. I'd like to think we covered a lot of ground this issue and got to know each other just a little better. If you didn't like this month's submission, well then make sure you submit content you want to see for next month. Have any other comments or concerns, drop me a line either through [@RPGN] or [@Lord Wraith].

In regards to this month's content, don't forget to comment below and put in your thoughts for the Community Discussion. Furthermore, don't be afraid to shout out some advice for Overwhelmed Oscar, Paranoid Pattie and Lunatic Larry, 'cause I'm only an armchair expert.

For next month, I'm looking at including a 'Dead Roleplay Still Worth A Read' or something with the same intention under a snappier name. So if you've got one, been part of one or know of one, send them my way and I'll give them a feature.

Looking forward to hearing from you all. For the time being, that's bloody all![/INDENT][/INDENT]
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