I was tempted to write a conversation between Kara and Alter Ego, but after thinking about it that both felt redundant and like sequel bait. So I’m going to call the RP done.

And there you have it. It took 4 years and a month, but we completed RPG’s first Danganronpa RP. This is the first time I’ve taken on a project that lasted longer than two years. 

Being that I like to ramble like an old man, I’d like to talk about part of my creative process with Tower of Carnage. In particular, the theme and setting.

The setting was easy to decide. I hadn’t played DRV3 when it came out, but after playing SDR2, I knew I wanted everything to be a role playing game. This also ties into the theme for Tower of Carnage, which is conquest and carnage. On their own they are just words that people use to convey a lot of different things. Not too different from hope and despair really. The conquest and carnage I’m talking about comes from when you dedicate yourself to a difficult task. Some see it when they want to learn a new skill, others when they want to go up the ranks at their job, and you may encounter it when you post in an ongoing RP. Conquest is completing your goal, and carnage is the sacrifices needed to get there. 

In retrospect, I probably could have called them determination and sacrifice. 

Danganronpa frequently calls hope and despair two sides of the same coin, and you can’t have conquest without carnage either. Anything worth attaining comes with sacrifices. The good times don’t stay good forever, and the bad times pass too if you stick with it.

I think the high point for ToC was around the 2-3 year mark when activity was at its peak. Most of the old players came back and at a point we had more people than we started with. Then after the third case, life reared its ugly head and people scattered. The time to call it quits was then, and it was something I was seriously considering. But I said I’d finish the RP if I even had one other person to write with, and I don’t go back on my word easy. I was blessed with three.

[@Majoras End] [@Mateotis] [@FamishedPants] 

And now with the RP completed, I’m forced to ask myself if it was worth it. Was it worth writing for that extra year or so with a fraction of the player base at a post rate that’s a bit slow?

Gunna be honest with you, I enjoyed every post.

It’s been really fun. I have too many favorite moments to name just one, but I really enjoyed everyone’s reactions during the final trial. That includes the DMs from players who left but still keep up with the RP. I know two lovers that exchanged gifts, and one of them was themed after this RP. I know a different group who were able to bond in our discord when it was still running. And I’ve conversed with a lot of great people and have memories that I doubt I’ll soon forget. It’s these types of encounters with people, however brief, that keep me invested in the hobby. 

I think I’ll keep the RP open for another week in case anyone wants to drop a message or something. But I’m signing off. PMs and DMs are always open.

[hr]

Life has been pretty crazy. A lot of big, positive changes are going to happen to me over the coming months. They’re also taking up a lot of my time however. So I don’t have the flashy header image I was going to prepare for the occasion.

I would like to announce an upcoming RP I’m going to be starting. Symphony of Espers (SoE) Is going to be a superhero/paranormal type gig. I haven’t nailed down all the specifics, but it’s going to have the player characters assume the roles of gifted people called espers who fight monsters and sometimes each other. While it’s clearly more combat orientated than ToC, it will have all the hallmarks of a good RP: Cunning antagonists, political intrigue, shenanigans, and soul crushing despair.

Also gunna tag [@ERode] for ABSOLUTELY NO REASON WHATSOEVER but he probably has a thing or two to do with the project.