The Madhouse [Role Play Group - Open]

[Holy Lykos]

I honestly don't really remember anything, but I believe here we were let out of school to be with family for that day. It was pretty scary, I do remember that much, but I didn't understand the full scope of it for years, really. I don't have really many memories of what things were like before that though. Wasn't old enough, and really only focused on what directly affected me.

Though personally the idea gio mentioned, that the world was more innocent and happy seems mostly true for the US than anything else. Its not like the places America kept intervening were in very good states before that compared to after.

I do kind of agree with Gio on the last point. I wished it wasn't as big of a thorn in america's consciousness as it was. It was horrific as hell, but we've also used it to excuse so many bad things and occupations that by now have cost more human lives and suffering than the event itself.

[Giovenith]

Though personally the idea gio mentioned, that the world was more innocent and happy seems mostly true for the US than anything else. Its not like the places America kept intervening were in very good states before that compared to after.

Never said they were.

[Holy Lykos]

Though personally the idea gio mentioned, that the world was more innocent and happy seems mostly true for the US than anything else. Its not like the places America kept intervening were in very good states before that compared to after.

Never said they were.

Yeah, I know, I just felt the need to clarify that for some reason. Sorry bout that

[Grenartia]

I was in 1st grade. Since we were an hour behind the east coast, I was still in before-care (I guess that's the best term for it) when it happened. None of the staff or teachers gave us any indication that something had happened (though, a few years later, in 5th grade, I heard that the 4th and 5th graders did watch coverage of it on TV), and so as far as I was concerned, it was a completely normal day, until my mom picked me up, and asked me if I knew what a terrorist was. I said yes, but gave her the definition of tourist, instead. That's when she told me what happened (at least, very simplified). I, not fully grasping the gravity of the situation, thought it was cool.

I honestly don't remember what the school's response was the next day, but I remember watching the news coverage each afternoon after I got home from school.

I knew something very odd was going on 2 days after, since my mom still hadn't punished me for getting 'bad' (i.e., less than a B) behavior grades (I never did anything super bad, it was just the result of undiagnosed ADHD) since the day it happened.

[Zanera]

I think I'll take that Mentor dude's advice with the Region re-foundering then.

[Tiltjuice]

I heard about it when I was having breakfast. I got sent to school anyway.

[The Knockout Gun Gals]

I was 5 at the time, and despite the effects of the event at that time, Indonesia wasn't really quite in the mind. Mind you, it's been just 5 years after Reformation and the fall of New Order, and four changing presidents didn't help matters. We sent condolences, I believed, but that's probably it. Of course, I much more understood the problem and the incident when I was in junior high, tellingly also kind of feeling angry about the American repercussions with Iraq despite them probably have less reasons to associated themselves with 9/11. I began to felt strongly more on Islam and be a good Muslim in general (Generally speaking, being good Muslim in Indonesia itself is a controversial thing since there are organizations that based good Muslims on their own standards)

My closest memories come more from the early aftermath. By the time I was kindergarten, they were sending in police officers and stuff to talk about the event and the things that would have to change now in society to prevent it from happening again (I basically got a heads up about the future TSA - silly baby me obediently cheered it on at the time). Adults around me started whispering "Osama" with each other like it was a bad word. My mom started spending more time on the early internet researching and and talking to people in other countries, since the event had served as a shocking revelation: she, and everyone she knew at time, had been under the quaint belief that America was the undisputed greatest country on Earth and that all other nations loved us and sought to imitate us. So when we were viciously attacked out of the blue, it threw her worldview for a loop and she sought to understand why anyone would be angry with us. Everyone talks about how 9/11 inspired a kind of hard-headed patriotism, but for a lot of others, it was the opposite: while there was of course still sympathy and a desire to protect the country, it also revealed to them the first time America's less than stellar tract record when it came to international affairs. They didn't hate the country or thought we deserved it or anything like that, but the golden myth of America being a utopia beloved by all that could do no wrong was gone forever.
.

This, basically. Perhaps the major reason why America turned out to be like now is that they deceived themselves and thinking that they are the best, the greatest, everyone loved them, no enemies whatsoever. 9/11 changed that perception, and it shows in shades (to me) that US is trying to restore that same image in the post-9/11 era. Perhaps by not trying to fix things and not invading everyone, they went for a worse result.

[Giovenith]

So reading through some old threads, I started thinking about a question that's always been in my mind but I've never really gotten the chance to fairly explore, mostly because of how messy it is.

But how exactly do you think one makes an emotionally fragile character without making, for lack of a better word, a crybaby? Characters that are broken and have gone through a lot of shit in their lives are among the most interesting to follow, but they're also so astoundingly easy to fuck up. It's easy to go in trying to make a character that people are supposed to feel sorry for and want to see regain their strength and wind up making one that comes across as melodramatic and emotionally manipulative.

This isn't meant to be a veiled excuse to complain about such characters. I've just thought about it a while and realized I really don't have many solid answers about what separates success and failure with these types of characters, it always just seems to either work or doesn't. I'm curious about what others think.

[The Republic of Atria]

So reading through some old threads, I started thinking about a question that's always been in my mind but I've never really gotten the chance to fairly explore, mostly because of how messy it is.

But how exactly do you think one makes an emotionally fragile character without making, for lack of a better word, a crybaby? Characters that are broken and have gone through a lot of shit in their lives are among the most interesting to follow, but they're also so astoundingly easy to fuck up. It's easy to go in trying to make a character that people are supposed to feel sorry for and want to see regain their strength and wind up making one that comes across as melodramatic and emotionally manipulative.

This isn't meant to be a veiled excuse to complain about such characters. I've just thought about it a while and realized I really don't have many solid answers about what separates success and failure with these types of characters, it always just seems to either work or doesn't. I'm curious about what others think.

Man it's been awhile since I've posted here.

But in my experience a good way to have them go about it would be for them to fake courage or what have you, and then silently slink off later to deal with it. As far as dealing with it goes, it could just be some crying, or it could be causing said character to force it down until he or she inevitably explodes. Show a scene or two of the character being scared, crying, or being very emotionally vulnerable. Either they wind up a broken mess who just wants to die or they manage to pull themselves back together and trudge onwards. Depends on the story you want to tell.

[The Madhouse Role Play Group]

New poll up.

[G-Tech Corporation]

Also, tostitos.

[Tiltjuice]

Also, tostitos.

*crunches G-Tech*

[Cylarn]

Got this in the works. Hopefully, it'll be a good spiritual successor to Post-Poc.

A Sci-Fi/Action/Adventure RP by Cylarn

---

The Skinny

"You can't be rolling in luck if you're here, fella. Talk to anyone, from the lowly derrick tech to the CEO of the Ægir Corporation, and they'll all say the same: Ullr-1 would be nothing without what's below its icy crust."

"What do you think of when you hear someone say, 'garden world?' Verdant green hills, vibrant flora and fauna, and flowing water as far as the eye can see, right? Ullr-1 is the only 'garden world' among the three planets orbiting the medium-sized Ullr star, but you'll be hard-pressed to find anything resembling a garden on this planet. For starters, most of the planet is covered in ice, thanks to what seems to be a never-ending winter that dominates the place. There's an ocean that they call 'Aurora,' which is partially covered and dotted by large sheets of packed ice. I've been here for some ten years, and I have yet to see a day or night without snow. One of the few benefits about this cold hell is that the atmosphere is mostly pure oxygen, and the water is pure H20."

"Amid the ice and wind and snow, there is life on this planet. I don't know how, but things live out here. Up above the ice, you've got big, white Caladrius birds that fly in flocks around the island. They dig out their own burrows in the snow and dive in through cracks in the ice to catch fish. There are also snow cats, which are basically self-explanatory. They prey on the four-legged, hairy Stroks that roam around up on the surface, not to mention anyone unlucky enough to be out in the tundra past dusk. There are other animals, but they're not as interesting - or dangerous - as what I'm about to introduce you to next."

"Beneath the icy waters live monsters. I shit you not; these creatures come straight out of nightmares. Large beasts with spines and sharp teeth, that can breach through the ice and swallow entire camps. Make enough noise on the surface, and at least one, if not more, will come out to play. The settlements and work sites have their own countermeasures to ward these 'Leviathans' off, but for the rest of us, it comes down to how fast you can run, or how much firepower you've got."

"I'm sure you're searching for a reason why anyone has chosen this place as a home. Well, look hard enough and you'll find ways to make money. The corporations have operations here on Ullr-1, from the water refineries owned by Deckhard & Sons to the mining derricks of Ægir, that's an honest living. Some folks don't want to live like that, so they take some treads or even an icebreaker out into the Aurora so that they can go plunder. As times goes on, these raiders have only grown in number and boldness. It's such a problem that the corporations have employed their own security forces to deal with the problem, garrisoning them in the two main settlements on the planet: New Archangel and New Telemark. If you're not mining water or minerals, then you're probably slumming it in one of those two places. Or, you're doing something else."

"That 'something else' is the line of work of what we like to call an 'Ice Rover.' Part-vagabond, part-mercenary, part-hunter, these guys and gals make their living out in the icy wastes. Aside from small bands of Rovers, the only thing that gives them at least a small taste of collective identity is what they hunt. You see, Leviathans are valuable creatures - for a short time after they're dead. Their lifeblood, organs,and everything else is worth a fortune - if you can find a buyer. It takes a real maniac to take off after a Leviathan, but Rovers are maniacs when it comes down to it.

[Mincaldenteans]

Got this in the works. Hopefully, it'll be a good spiritual successor to Post-Poc.

Liking it so far!

[Camicon]

Got this in the works. Hopefully, it'll be a good spiritual successor to Post-Poc.

(Image)
A Sci-Fi/Action/Adventure RP by Cylarn

---

The Skinny

"You can't be rolling in luck if you're here, fella. Talk to anyone, from the lowly derrick tech to the CEO of the Ægir Corporation, and they'll all say the same: Ullr-1 would be nothing without what's below its icy crust."

"What do you think of when you hear someone say, 'garden world?' Verdant green hills, vibrant flora and fauna, and flowing water as far as the eye can see, right? Ullr-1 is the only 'garden world' among the three planets orbiting the medium-sized Ullr star, but you'll be hard-pressed to find anything resembling a garden on this planet. For starters, most of the planet is covered in ice, thanks to what seems to be a never-ending winter that dominates the place. There's an ocean that they call 'Aurora,' which is partially covered and dotted by large sheets of packed ice. I've been here for some ten years, and I have yet to see a day or night without snow. One of the few benefits about this cold hell is that the atmosphere is mostly pure oxygen, and the water is pure H20."

"Amid the ice and wind and snow, there is life on this planet. I don't know how, but things live out here. Up above the ice, you've got big, white Caladrius birds that fly in flocks around the island. They dig out their own burrows in the snow and dive in through cracks in the ice to catch fish. There are also snow cats, which are basically self-explanatory. They prey on the four-legged, hairy Stroks that roam around up on the surface, not to mention anyone unlucky enough to be out in the tundra past dusk. There are other animals, but they're not as interesting - or dangerous - as what I'm about to introduce you to next."

"Beneath the icy waters live monsters. I shit you not; these creatures come straight out of nightmares. Large beasts with spines and sharp teeth, that can breach through the ice and swallow entire camps. Make enough noise on the surface, and at least one, if not more, will come out to play. The settlements and work sites have their own countermeasures to ward these 'Leviathans' off, but for the rest of us, it comes down to how fast you can run, or how much firepower you've got."

"I'm sure you're searching for a reason why anyone has chosen this place as a home. Well, look hard enough and you'll find ways to make money. The corporations have operations here on Ullr-1, from the water refineries owned by Deckhard & Sons to the mining derricks of Ægir, that's an honest living. Some folks don't want to live like that, so they take some treads or even an icebreaker out into the Aurora so that they can go plunder. As times goes on, these raiders have only grown in number and boldness. It's such a problem that the corporations have employed their own security forces to deal with the problem, garrisoning them in the two main settlements on the planet: New Archangel and New Telemark. If you're not mining water or minerals, then you're probably slumming it in one of those two places. Or, you're doing something else."

"That 'something else' is the line of work of what we like to call an 'Ice Rover.' Part-vagabond, part-mercenary, part-hunter, these guys and gals make their living out in the icy wastes. Aside from small bands of Rovers, the only thing that gives them at least a small taste of collective identity is what they hunt. You see, Leviathans are valuable creatures - for a short time after they're dead. Their lifeblood, organs,and everything else is worth a fortune - if you can find a buyer. It takes a real maniac to take off after a Leviathan, but Rovers are maniacs when it comes down to it.

Lookin' good.

[Cylarn]

And here we go!

[Northwest Slobovia]

And here we go!

Yay, Fish Tale in Spaaaaaace!

[The Madhouse Role Play Group]

In answer to the poll - Yes, we have an AV club: http://madhouseproductions.boards.net/thread/121/movie-night

[Holy Lykos]

Today might not be good for people! I wasn't even aware we had decided on a night, much less that it was today and I made the thread!

[Cerillium]

Today might not be good for people! I wasn't even aware we had decided on a night, much less that it was today and I made the thread!

I didn't think it was today (yesterday). We'll need to sort a good time for people. Can use the OSF thread for that.

[Holy Lykos]

Today might not be good for people! I wasn't even aware we had decided on a night, much less that it was today and I made the thread!

I didn't think it was today (yesterday). We'll need to sort a good time for people. Can use the OSF thread for that.

We should, but no one is

[The Knockout Gun Gals]

And thus, the 30-days not logging in using the main account that I used for the last 5 years started.

[Fvaarniimar]

*finally swaps out the old sig tag*

[Cylarn]

We're still looking for some good officers and crew for the King Solomon, if anyone is interested.

[Swith Witherward]

A quick update:

With Cer on a business trip, it's been just me at home to make a stand against The Sewer of Nonsense. (Long story short, minor flooding knocked out power, which meant the city couldn't pump. Excess water filled things up and, as we're at the very bottom of the slope right near the river's edge, all the debris and other things backed up. I've spend the weekend armed with waders and a shop vac, purging waste from my basement. We can't flush or shower, either.) Anyway, I haven't been on NS or even had a chance to RP IRL. I'll do my best to get more active again once Cer gets back (Wednesday night). Until then, I'm on catnaps when not driving home from my cousin's (in order to suck up filth... which is pretty much every 2 hours).