Entry tags:
State of the Roleplay - TL;DR edition
I will use Laena's old code because I am original.
| state of the rp: general It's the Christmas vacation, which means it's time for me to play catch-up. With a really horrible schedule this semester full of night classes, I've lost more time to RP. I study in the mornings, go to school in the afternoon and evening, and flop all the way home like an exhausted fish out of water. Not only that, the Internet and I have disagreed several times these days; it would go down when I need to take a break and be there when I have to study. I recently dropped one game when my motivation ran dry, and hopefully that will help me keep up on the RP scene, especially because of my timezone. I don't know what the following year holds in store for me, but I'll just have to face it head-on and do my best because school and RL will always be more important. But I tend to get pretty attached to characters, especially with time. I really hope I don't have to drop anyone later on. I really like plotting and discussing RP things with people but I feel a little guilty at times when I can't deliver, or when I'm late. I'm glad lots of people understand backtagging and that backtagging is currently how I live in RP. | |
| ataraxion | |
| state of the game I apped here on a whim - like, sure, why not, since a lot of people I knew were there. The last space game I joined didn't quite stick, but hey, this was different, and this was a different time. Anyway, the game can be pretty fast at times, although with the current network downtime it has slowed down somewhat. My timezone plus my sporadic appearances online tend to make me late for CR memes and posts and logs, but generally people are chill with that. I sometimes feel like I'm just running after everyone and that my characters have to somehow be useful to be noticed. Two months later and I'm still intimidated by the fact that there are a lot of people who are very dedicated to their RP and who put tons of work into what they do, but the intimidation has diminished somewhat as I continue to build up CR and all that. Besides, I really can't help it if school eats my life. It's school. It's important. I can't be the shotgun tagger I used to be. | |
character: Larry Butz [![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small} biffail]age: 23 series: Ace Attorney time played: 2 months muse strength: ■ ■ ■ ■ □ I have been playing Larry for, what, over two years now? His voice comes quite naturally to me, but there are times when I have to stop and decide whether I should have him play the fool or if I'm overloading on the idiocy. I still want to make sure that I play him as comic relief and as a dunce, but not too much of a dunce because hey, the guy has talent, art-wise, and his heart is in the right place. I'm playing him from a much earlier canon point than my usual, so that balancing act is more challenging; you don't have as much material to support the fact that Larry is more than a simple fool. I could probably use a canon review as well, just to help me smooth things out. Even though I think Larry from just after the first game is different from Larry after T&T or AAI, I have second thoughts about that. Is he really as different as I think he is, or is it just having less canon to muck around with? While I like starting over with a clean slate and seeing how a younger Larry will develop, I miss the development I put into him back in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small} sirenspull and more than once, I've contemplated canon updating, or just playing an import from SP.cast strength: ■ ■ ■ ■ □ I apped Larry for the cast shenanigans. If there was no AA cast, I probably wouldn't have been interested in the game. The cast is one giant timey-wimey trainwreck; while Phoenix and Franziska are from Larry's future, Manfred and Edgeworth are from the past. While our cast is pretty amazing and absolutely warped in all the right ways to shatter the space-time continuum, I sometimes feel like Larry is out of place because he doesn't have anyone close to his canon point; everyone else is at least two years away. Also, he is currently the only non-lawyer who seems to just keep on running after everyone else while they deal with varying temporal points. All he wants is to keep his friends and to keep away from the crazy von Karmas (but he is eventually learning to look past Franziska's last name, as he arrived with fresh memories of 1-4), is that so wrong? The never-ending debate on whether or not Edgeworth should know about his future (and if he'll even believe it), Larry's hostile relationship with Franziska and his revelation of Manfred's downfall...the plotting possibilities are endless and I hope I'm a good enough Larry for the cast. plotting capabilities: ■ ■ □ □ □ Speaking of plotting, outside the cast shenanigans, I'm not so sure of what to do with Larry, honestly. His strengths are in art, being the most loyal friend you can ever imagine, and being comic relief - and those aren't exactly skills you're looking for on a horrific spaceship. He'll most likely not find work with the crew, but I'm wondering if I can work with how he used to sell Samurai Dogs. There's also the eternal hunt for new girlfriends, which I haven't quite picked up yet; he has fired off a few pickup lines but that's it. Maybe it's too early for any dating? Or maybe Larry is just too caught up in his timey-wimey cast and is too busy trying not to lose either of his best friends. I want to do something more than have Larry crack space pickup lines or dress up as Santa Claus, but I don't know where to start. There's his mask - that's one thing, but how to pull it off and how he will degenerate into an immature brat after wearing it several times is another story. I still want to do more than that. Something uniquely Larry-esque. shipping potential: ■ ■ □ □ □ Currently there isn't a woman I'd totally ship with Larry, but knowing him, he just needs some time to acclimatize before I end up shipping him with some lady on the ship? Oh, who am I kidding, he'd look for girlfriends anywhere and doesn't need to get used to being in space to be a big flirt. I don't know where or even when to start with this, especially with the network down. I could probably put up an open log, but the question is, where...anyway, Larry gets 2 out of 5 because he could be shippable (that is so totally not a word) but right now? Not exactly. Ironically, I haven't been thinking of the dating much. Even though I expressed interest in having him find dates, it hasn't been very high on my priority list. Wait, why is his theme playing while I'm typing?! likelihood of drop: ■ ■ ■ □ □ While I like my cast and I know that Larry has possibilities in ataraxion and he's generally fun to play, I tend to feel like he's a square peg in a round hole. Like...he doesn't fit the game and/or the stuff that's been going on, and he just seems to lag behind everyone else. I want to give him the best possible chance of fitting in, though, so I don't want to drop him just yet. I am motivated to find stuff to do for him but not as much as with my other characters, so I hope plotting and getting him CR will help him settle into the premise nicely.development/final thoughts: Since Larry has only been on the ship for two months, there's not much development to speak of except his very gradual degradation to immaturity thanks to constantly wearing his mask, and his conflicted feelings over telling Edgeworth what happened in 1-4 and being, for some reason, pushed away by him, so to speak. At times I'm not sure where his development will go and maybe I should just roll with it and take whatever happens. I really miss the opportunities his subsequent appearances in canon have brought him which would help me figure out what to do and what I've done in the past. I'm tempted to just canon update him but then I'd miss out on what would happen with a Larry fresh from the first game, and lose the opportunity I seized to take another path of development. Ironic, isn't it? I decide to try a new canon point and then it turns out that it's not quite working out as well as I thought it would. I think maybe SP!Larry would fit in better. He'd keep his powers and everything he learned in the Port, and I'd know exactly where I'd take him from, time-wise. But again, I don't want to give up on Larry just yet. It's been only two months, so anything can happen. I should also make sure SP!Larry doesn't bleed into AX!Larry because they're different. I guess two years of being in a game and developing only one character during all that time can do that when you decide to app said character somewhere else. | |
| character: Michelle Cheung [bibliophilism] age: 25 series: Read or Die/R.O.D the TV time played: 1 month muse strength: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ I can do Michelle tags in my sleep. Her voice is very easy - she is optimistic and a dramatic ditz, but is actually very calm and collected inside, and a little formal every now and then. I often find myself tackling her tags first especially when I've just gotten home from school and I need to unwind. She's like a breath of fresh air and adds variety to my game lineup, but I dread doing another canon review because I'd have to rewatch 26 episodes again. The next time I'll have time to do that would be over sem break. At least I feel confident enough to keep going even without a canon review. I feel like the muse is an old friend who came to visit me after a long time and who reminded me why we're friends. I love Michelle - as a character in the anime, and as a muse. I also feel a little proud, for some mundane reason, because currently I'm the only RPer I know who plays her. My only problems with her are toning down the cheer and doing my research on books because I am a dishonor to her, and a dishonor on my cow. I have a long way to go before I match her love for books - if it can even be matched by anyone who isn't Yomiko Readman. cast strength: □ □ □ □ □ Cast? What cast? The fandom is really obscure and very few people play from it, and I have yet to see anyone else on DW who plays from R.O.D in any incarnation. While Michelle seems to be doing fine as a lone canon warrior, I would really love to have castmates, especially Maggie, Anita and Nenene. What I like about her is that she's very congenial - well, once she gets over pining for her sisters. Actually, I don't think she'll get over that but she puts on a really cheerful front, doesn't she? plotting capabilities: ■ ■ ■ ■ □ Even while typing the app, I already knew what I wanted to do with Michelle. With her battle experience, paper powers, and other quirks like her love for books and cute children, I feel like I can throw her at just about anyone and at any plot and not just because she's super friendly and approachable. Maybe it's because she's different in the sense that no one else plays her, she comes from an obscure fandom and she's the combo breaker in my ongoing AA muse trend. And I want people to get to know her and the series she comes from, so I make her very visible. Seriously, guys, this series is amazing. shipping potential: ■ □ □ □ □ Michelle's love for books and for her sisters leaves no room for a special guy in her life, but who knows? It's a very long shot and nearly impossible not because she's dense (because I doubt she is, after digesting how many romance novels) but because she has other things on her mind and other people who are more important. Still, I get really amused when guys show interest in her or just her looks because Michelle really is beautiful. Despite more possible plans, I can't help but feel a bit possessive of my girl. She's already happy surrounded by books and friends; she doesn't need a special someone. In canon, I ship her with no one and it'll probably take a lot to change that in game. Of course, I'm game for ship speculation. likelihood of drop: ■ □ □ □ □ Unlike Larry, Michelle found her niche in ataraxion after barely a month. I like her where she is, how she gets to keep her paper powers, and how she can show off her battle prowess and annoy people with her over-the-top dramatics and optimism. I think she can go a long way and develop further, even without her sisters. It's so much easier to throw her at characters and build her CR and I really feel like she's a perfect fit. Space horror and dark themes? Bring it on. Michelle accepts the challenge of keeping her happy levels way up. I'm excited to see where she goes and how she gets along with people who, well, aren't her sisters or Nenene or anyone in canon. I might even learn more about Michelle this way.development/final thoughts: Maybe in the future I can canon update her. I feel cruel for thinking of a very terrible canon point to bring her to when I decide that she should get to know her story better. Her canon point is really early but I like giving her something to long for despite having settled down for the most part. I also like writing out parts where she shows off her paper powers because the concept of Paper Masters is one of the things I love about this series. I also want to push her further to her limits, to see where she snaps and how she deals with worse things. I can't stop gushing about Michelle, she's just this awesome and fun to play - a real stress reliever but at the same time leaving enough room for serious plotting because she has a serious side that only comes out when absolutely necessary. | |
somarium | |
| state of the game I returned to somarium when I had lightened my RP load even further and realized that there was a hole in my heart that could only be filled by playing Kay somewhere again. I missed my CR and all the threads I had, and realized that Kay's story in the dream world was not quite done yet. Even though I once thought there was nothing more I could do, I was so very, very wrong. I also missed writing dreams and realized that they can be fun and you are only limited by your imagination. I can keep up even with school, and even if I tend to have this urge to tag a lot of posts with Kay. | |
| character: Kay Faraday [yatagarasu] age: series: Ace Attorney time played: 17 months, broken muse strength: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Kay, to me, is the cast strength: ■ ■ ■ ■ □ The AA cast at somarium used to be pretty small, but after I reapped, it started to grow and one of my dreams came true - a complete assistant brigade was born. One of the main reasons why I reapped was because I had left her and Edgeworth's relationship behind when it could be explored further since they had known each other for far, far longer than in canon. I didn't expect the cast to suddenly grow after I returned, but that was one of the most pleasant surprises ever and opened so many opportunities for CR, crazy fun, and slumber parties. Assistants throwing slumber parties and becoming the new Yatagarasu, Phoenix being a hobo and hogging the couch, Manfred somehow indirectly bringing Kay and Edgeworth closer together, traumatic pasts everywhere...words can't describe how I feel about this cast and also about those who have already left it. There's just so much to do and so little time. I only give four out of five because I still want other important castmates - not only do I miss those who have dropped, but I also want characters like Gumshoe, Lang, Shih-na, Badd...people exclusively from AAI. Of course, I want everyone ever because I'm a greedy castmate hog like that. plotting capabilities: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ With Kay forming the second Yatagarasu brigade out of assistants and regaining old CR and making new friends, as well as being tied to the police department, I've found more things to do with her than I initially thought during my first run. There's a murder plot coming up, and the police banquet, and "Jessica's" (more like Dahlia's) tea party. I've rediscovered the fun in not only finding things for Kay to do but also people for her to interact with, to help me delve deeper into her under-appreciated character. It's interesting to wonder, "What would Kay do?" or "What if she was in this situation?" or even "What if she met this person and became friends with him/her?" If this is what it takes to fill the holes left in her development in canon, then challenge accepted. shipping potential: ■ ■ ■ □ □ I...ship Kay with Suzaku, and with Beat to a lesser extent. But while Beat is already taken and I know they'll just be friends, I can always just hang on to it as a fantasy and a what-if. That leaves Suzaku, who is Kay's second closest guy friend (the first is Edgeworth and he actually already qualifies as not!family) and who has told her some of his secrets. They're adorable - while he knows she's a vigilante (of sorts), she doesn't know about his past as Zero but always hopes to learn more about him and why he's the way he is. Personality-wise, they're kind of on opposite ends of the scale but that's what makes their relationship more exciting to watch. I doubt if they'll ever get into a serious relationship because playing out full-blown relationships isn't quite my thing (I prefer the occasional date and OOC discussion and dancing-around-each-other and not-getting-it) and because...well, Suzaku is Suzaku. I can't wait for them to go on their first date. Kay is very iffy on bringing a date to the upcoming banquet but she may just change her mind. likelihood of drop: □ □ □ □ □ I love my castmates, I love Kay's CR, I love how I have the wheel and I'm driving toward who-knows-where with an adult Kay (she just turned 19) yet at the same time I think I know where I'm going. I regret dropping last time because I missed out on a few months that would have been fun had I kept Kay in the game but that's behind me know, and I'm back, and that's what counts. Last time, I had to lighten the game load and I felt like I wasn't doing anything, but man, was I wrong. Kay also makes me smile at times, and gives me all the feelings, and playing her has made me appreciate her more, in canon and out. development/final thoughts: I still get a bit conscious when I'm logged in as Kay because of her development in somarium and how she seems a little more subdued and more conscious of her words and actions. Like...wait, isn't she supposed to be hyper? But then again, I have to remember that she's 19 now, and she has been through more than what she had in canon. Kay has had much more time to bond with the people she knows, and she would be a pretty static character if she stayed the same way she was in canon even after so many months in the dream world. In the end, I regret nothing. I don't regret the directions I've taken and how she'll grow. After all, even she would have her own angst and her own ~feelings~ and her own fears. I want to break out of the little box she ended up in with only two cases under her belt and with fandom's general opinion of her as a self-insert Mary Sue. I really want to change that and show that she can be a dynamic character with the proper love and attention. Something like that. | |
soul campaign | |
| state of the game The game has recently slowed down and shrunk as of late. It has changed considerably ever since I apped to it - which shows just how long I've hung around. While sometimes my motivation drops and I don't know if I should stay or not, I stay because of the awesome people I've known for ages, because of the premise, and all the golden opportunities for character development and shenanigans within my reach. I generally don't do well with slow games, but SC is the exception. At least it's plot-heavy and I have goals in mind for myself and the character I play, so I'm kept occupied even if sometimes there's not much to do. Besides, who ever thought that Edgeworth of all my characters could stay the longest in a game, without drops? | |
| character: Miles Edgeworth [prosecutory] age: series: Ace Attorney time played: 2 years, 5 months muse strength: ■ ■ ■ □ □ My voice for Edgeworth tends to waffle between 3 and 4, 2 on bad days or when I'm stressed. He is my most challenging and most taxing character because he's furthest from my hyper muse trend (I justify that by saying I'm pinged by either hyper or justice, and he fits justice just fine). I sometimes wonder what on earth possessed me to pick him up - then I realize it's because I fell in love with him the moment I first saw him in the AA games. Going back to muse strength, I find that I can't just wake up one day and decide to do Edgeworth tags; I have to be in a very good mood, conducive for tagging, and I have to be relaxed. Nowadays, I think my being in law school has, ironically, made it more difficult to play him because it comes off as additional homework. I'm a law student, and then I come home to roleplay, of all things, a lawyer. There are times when I feel really pressured to do well because I'm not only up against so many other Edgeworths but I feel like being a law student raises the bar for me. I still obsess over his tags and how to say certain things and how to maintain the perfect balance I need to project him the way he should be projected...and unfortunately I stopped what was supposed to be an ultimate canon review so I should start that up again to regain a feel for his voice. I think I tag best with him when the monthly visitor is around. cast strength: ■ □ □ □ □ For a while, Edgeworth was a lone canon warrior, but I really didn't mind because he racked up some great cross-canon CR along the way, and I understand that this sort of setting can be difficult for AA characters, I guess? Then lawyer!Phoenix arrived, bringing Edgeworth to the crossroads he was bound to meet - whether to tell Phoenix the truth about his future or not. While I already know the answer to that (this information is on a need-to-know basis), it's still worth pondering anyway, because I get to explore how Edgeworth deals with Phoenix, knowing full well what will happen later on and wishing, sort of, that he could change it because the future is not set in stone. What I really look forward to is Edgeworth showing Phoenix the ropes and just being bantering bros all over again even with a war looming over their heads. Needless to say, I would love more castmates. Just to push Edgeworth's buttons - I mean, ahem. Next. plotting capabilities: ■ ■ ■ ■ □ One of the heads of the Agency? Check. Meister who has freely chosen to fight for Shibusen? Check. Daily training and martial arts lessons? Check. With Edgeworth now openly participating in the war, I've been opened to a lot of plotting and a lot of battle because I really love threading and writing out fight scenes. As part of the Agency and because of who he is, he's down for investigation and fighting crime and even prosecuting in Death City's courts. Basically it's easier to throw him at everything nowadays and that's the way I like it. However, I only give this four out of five because my schedule and my never-ending struggle with his voice, I'm a little constrained and I tend to be late. And well, SC is plot-heavy. Obviously it won't be that way everyday but still. shipping potential: ■ □ □ □ □ We're talking about Edgeworth here. He's dense and socially inept and frankly, he has better things to do than court a lady who isn't Lady Justice. That should earn no points but I give it one because it's just so much fun to OOCly discuss ships, write fic, and speculate all over the place even though the odds of him ever getting a girlfriend are much lower than those of Michelle ever getting a boyfriend. It's also ironic how all of the ladies I shipped Edgeworth with and who may have had a shot at becoming his very first girlfriend are gone now...what have I done...he's cursed...a-anyway, shipping is not very high on my priority list but it makes for some interesting random discussion. And fic. likelihood of drop: ■ ■ □ □ □ I was tempted to drop, a few times, especially when all my castmates had gone on ahead. I wanted to leave because I thought it was probably my time and I've been around for so long that nothing excites me anymore. Then plot happened, and I realized that I didn't want to leave Edgeworth's development hanging. I want him to forge a Death Scythe and be an awesome fighter while still managing to prosecute and investigate in a war-torn city. I may get insecure about how I play him and his voice may be hard to grasp at times, but I don't want to throw in the towel. I want to give him all I've got and see where he goes, because he can go places. And I don't mean for missions. development/final thoughts: I just have to be more confident in his voice, embrace what I've done so far, and just tweak the little things I have to improve on, and of course, that canon review won't hurt. So many important events have happened - he has seen battle, the ghosts of his past, and so many other things - and I can't just throw it all away. If he's becoming too laid-back or too nice, then I'll work on it and do what I can to rectify that. I still can't believe I've gone so far from being this scared hi-I'm-new-meat-don't-hurt-me mun to becoming one of the oldies. I'm not one of the oldest players but more than two years is a crazy long time especially when you're playing Edgeworth. And I'm glad for this turn of events because it inspires me to just always do my best, to hold my head up high, and wave my own flag. ...I still miss his paid account. Maybe this is a good time to change icon keywords or something. And I need to do those age-old tags sitting in my inbox. And I have to be in bed by 9 minutes. That's all for now. I have too many feelings for Edgeworth and even though he's no longer the main muse, he's still pretty darn special. | |