Recommended reading

[Dark Link]

Even though I enjoy reading (though it is a hobby I've sadly neglected far too much in recent years), I never had much of a habit of reading the writings of my fellow writers on PbP RPG sites. Even back on Chubbs, it was quite rare for me to read anything that didn't directly or indirectly involve my characters. In retrospect, that wasn't a good thing, since I have no doubt I missed out on a lot of good stuff by doing so. But that's beside the point.

The Omniverse is now a year old and, by this time, I'm sure there are a couple of stories that have stood out from the rest. Since I wish to be more active and involved this time around, I am interested in reading some of the works fellow members have created. For this reason, I would like to ask for your recommendations. In your opinion, what are some of the best Omniverse stories that have been written so far?

[Udyr]

Look up the Rage of the Rathalos threads. They were the first big staff run saga (as you would know it) for the site and there was a lot of good writing happening. Plus it'll give you a sample of a whole heap of people's writing.

[Gouki]

it was quite rare for me to read anything that didn't directly or indirectly involve my characters.

Same here though it wasn't always the case. When I first started play-by-post RPGs 15 years ago, I used to read other people's IC posts a lot in order to learn 1) how to format my own posts 2) see what were the most popular/best rated writing styles 3) what did people focus on in their posts.

As the years went by, I gradually began to read more books and less RPG posts. This was because a) I was growing sick of reading RPG threads that went inactive before the story was complete and b) I was looking for better quality sources of inspiration to improve my writing. (And what's better than a famous author's best selling novel?)

So then I stopped reading other people's works altogether and focused only on threads that I posted in whilst thinking of captivating scenes I'd recently read and how I could incorporate them into my own stories. (Not outright plagiarism, just borrowing vocabulary and sentence structures.)

These days I try to make an effort to read other people's stuff to get more involved in the communities I play with but if I've got 10 minutes to kill I'd still rather pick up a book than read someone's latest post.

[Udyr]

While I understand your point Gouki, the great thing about sites like the Omniverse is the collaboration aspect, especially if you intend to become a better writer. It's a two way street; if you keep up to date with other members, even providing advice where you feel confident, the same courtesy will likely be applied to you. In that case, your skills sharpen, both in analysing writing (which will extend into revising your own content) and the act of writing itself (having received advice from others and picking up pointers from other writers' work that you can use yourself). Otherwise, why not just write in a Word document?

[Omni]

It's unfortunate that they vanished because Whirda and Nyx's thread was great. Hopefully we will be tying up the threads of that storyline soon with Proto Man (whose stories are also definitely great stuff).

There's still a lot I haven't read but I'll say Link's stuff has me constantly wanting a new update (I'm intrigued with his take on the hero of time). Magus's search for Omni was fascinating but again ... he's dropped off. Everything by Ganondorf and co, though obviously I have a vested interest there.

I actually thought Rage of the Rathalos was a bit of a clusterfuck, though that may be because I mostly remember the moderating aspect which was a nightmare. Mostly it was just an excuse to kill a dragon.

What I want to see is people attempt the new artefact quests. There's some great fodder there.

[Kenpachi Zaraki]

I second Proto's stories. Man on Fire was really good and Blighted Oak has got me waiting for the next post.

[Gouki]

While I understand your point Gouki, the great thing about sites like the Omniverse is the collaboration aspect, especially if you intend to become a better writer. It's a two way street; if you keep up to date with other members, even providing advice where you feel confident, the same courtesy will likely be applied to you. In that case, your skills sharpen, both in analysing writing (which will extend into revising your own content) and the act of writing itself (having received advice from others and picking up pointers from other writers' work that you can use yourself). Otherwise, why not just write in a Word document?

I agree that forums like these are good for feedback. However, this reminds me of a debate I came across years ago where the original poster asked "When did we stop being roleplayers and became writers?" He was basically venting against the trend to write longer and more detailed posts and the increasingly elitist attitudes that came with them, mourning the age when posts simply stated your character's speech and actions and left the rest up to the game master.

The debate quickly turned into a heavily opinionated flamefest but left a lasting impression and kept me wondering as to the nature of these roleplays we do. When one player continually posts by himself, for example Proto Man and his adventures, is he roleplaying or is writing fan-fiction? The line seems incredibly blurred. Even Omni said Proto Man's "stories are also definitely great stuff".

I'm not against fan-fiction or solo adventures but in my mind, posting a solo-adventure on a forum and typing it in a Word document is the same thing in so far as that you don't rely on anyone other than yourself to write it. No game master, no other players, no dynamic interaction... It's easier to get constructive criticism on a forum but one can just as easily email a Word document to get feedback.

[Kenpachi Zaraki]

I think it's important to realize that sometimes people want to write a story and develop solo, and other times they want to collaborate. I think trying to work out when we're crossing some line is over-thinking it.

[Proto Man]

I just want to say that I wholly agree with what Gouki said about elitist attitudes, even if it's not necessarily in the same context. Many of us came from a previous community that, over time, mutated into a very closed-off and very elitist environment that wasn't welcoming to newer members, many of whom didn't have much experience with what we were accustomed to. As a result, that place eventually stagnated and died.

I don't see that being an issue here. There is no one way to write here at the Omniverse, and in many ways, I feel like the current trio of staff do a good job of showcasing both ends of the spectrum. We have no rules on minimum word counts, so there is nothing stopping you from replicating a more chat-based RP model, where you just quickly go back and forth, exchanging paragraphs or lines of dialogue. Enel (who is Omni) and Ganondorf did this when they first met. You can also post larger chunks between two characters. Samus (who is Omni) and I did this during a few threads. Of course, it helps that the two of us have been collaborating together for our entire adult lives, so we have some idea of how the other operates and know that we're both flexible with what goes on. Then you have me, where I sometimes just like to write by myself, surrounded by a cast of interesting NPC characters.

I like the Omniverse because you can genuinely do whatever you want to do, unless you do crazy stuff like blow up the universe or have someone else's character pull out a 9mm and cap his, her, or itself.

My last point comes from me, Alex the internet writer, rather than Alex the Omniverse Staffer. I've always considered play-by-posts (I've designed a few and been a part of many others, this one included) like this to be writing communities with gaming elements. The thrill of writing characters and stories has always meant more to me than the numbers, although obviously I do get some enjoyment out of building a character and topping the list. The other side of the spectrum is something like a World of Warcraft or a Minecraft server where you chat rp (mostly a game with a creative writing spin).

And I want to go on record and state that I believe I am totally writing fan fiction. I mean, I dress up as Proto Man in real life and want to be an accomplished writer so I can write LEGIT Mega Man fiction. #transparency

[Gouki]

Cool, I'm down with that. I'll be giving your works a read then.

[Omni]

I tend to go back and forth between both styles. I'm here first and foremost for the interaction, but I also like to craft a storyline the same way I would if I was writing solo. Hence my preference for writing just with one other person, or 2-3 others with whom I have a good rapport.